Myanmar coup: UN agencies slam security forces’ occupation of schools

Protesters returned to the streets across Myanmar on Saturday, defying a junta-led campaign of fear as regional powers Indonesia and Malaysia condemned the violence deployed by security forces against anti-coup demonstrators. The country has been in turmoil since the military ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi from power in a February 1 coup, triggering a nationwide uprising as protesters call for a return to democracy. So far, more than 230 people have been killed in anti-coup unrest, according to a local monitoring group, as security forces have deployed tear gas, rubber bullets and live rounds against anti-coup protesters. But the movement has pushed ahead – albeit in smaller numbers. In Myanmar, the family of a slain 17-year-old mourns the loss of hope Local media showed protesters in gas masks gathering in northern Shan state, while in the southern coastal city of Dawei, motorists hoisted posters of Suu Kyi and signs that said “end the dictatorship”. The protesters in Shan state wielded home-made shields that said “protect unarmed civilians”. Security forces fired shots and killed at least one person in the workers’ district of Hlaing Tharyar in Yangon late on Friday night, a local resident reported on Saturday. At least three others were seriously injured, she said. “A childhood friend was hit in the arm,” the 25-year-old added. Local media reported other fatalities since Friday night. Residents in Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-biggest city, on Saturday helped striking railway workers move out of their state-supplied housing after the authorities said they would have to leave if they kept supporting the protest movement against last month’s military coup. Mandalay residents carried the workers’ furniture and other household items to trucks, van and pickup trucks. Outside of protests, crackdowns continue on the streets and residential areas across Myanmar, said the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) monitoring group. “Casualties and unprovoked shootings are increasing day by day,” it said. In the central ruby-producing city of Mogok, local media Myanmar Now reported that a neighbourhood’s night guards were shot overnight. “One died on the spot last night while two others are in critical condition in hospital,” said a rescue team member, declining to give more details. The country’s commercial hub Yangon has emerged as a hotspot for unrest, as security forces armed with guns continue to root out protesters wielding home-made protection gear. But the resistance movement remains defiant. “Who says we have to give up because of unequal weapons? We are born for victory,” tweeted prominent activist Ei Thinzar Maung, with the hashtag #SpringRevolution. Sporadic demonstrations persisted Saturday across the former capital, with a small group marching on a residential area chanting for the military to “Surrender if you do not want life in prison!” Can Indonesia use Myanmar to balance the US and China? Myanmar’s regional neighbours on Friday condemned the escalating violence, with Indonesian President Joko Widodo calling for a high-level regional meeting “to discuss the crisis”. “Indonesia urges that the use of violence in Myanmar stop to avoid more victims,” he said. Malaysia’s Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin echoed the need for an “emergency” summit among the 10-country Association of Southeast Asian Nations. “I am appalled by the persistent use of lethal violence against unarmed civilians … The use of live ammunition against peaceful protests is unacceptable,” he said in a statement on Friday. “This deplorable situation must stop immediately.” International condemnation by the United States, former colonial power Britain and the United Nations has so far failed to slow the violence. European Union foreign ministers are set to approve sanctions on Monday against 11 junta officials, according to EU diplomats. The top United Nations official in Myanmar on Friday said many citizens had called for sanctions, with some urging the UN to send peacekeepers to stop the killings of peaceful protesters seeking a return to democracy. Acting resident and humanitarian coordinator Andrew Kirkwood said in a video briefing to UN reporters from Yangon that Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and other UN officials had been consistent about what was needed – “collective member state actions in the Security Council”. “Many people will have seen people carrying placards saying, ‘how many more bodies?’. People are really looking for concerted international action in terms of sanctions. Frankly, some people here want to see peacekeepers,” Kirkwood said. The UN agencies Unicef and Unesco , along with the private humanitarian group Save the Children, on Friday issued a statement criticising the occupation of education facilities across Myanmar by security forces as a serious violation of children’s rights. It said security forces have reportedly occupied more than 60 schools and university campuses in 13 states and regions. “It will exacerbate the learning crisis for almost 12 million children and youth in Myanmar, which was already under tremendous pressure as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and ensuing widespread school closures,” said the statement. “Save the Children, Unesco and Unicef call on security forces to vacate occupied premises immediately and ensure that schools and educational facilities are not used by military or security personnel,” it said. “Schools must be not used by security forces under any circumstances.” Why protesters in Myanmar are targeting Chinese factories and restaurants Since the military took over in February, the junta has sunk Myanmar further into isolation, throttling mobile data this week that left citizens without Wi-fi capabilities in an information blackout. It has also instated a nightly internet shutdown for more than a month. Security forces have also gone after the country’s press corps, raiding multiple newsrooms and arresting more than 30 since the coup, according to AAPP. A Burmese journalist, Aung Thura, with BBC’s Myanmar language service was taken away by men on Friday in the capital Naypyidaw while reporting outside a court. “The British Embassy … shares the BBC’s concerns about missing BBC Burmese journalist Aung Thura,” tweeted the embassy on Friday. “We echo the call for the authorities to help confirm his location and that he is safe.” Local journalist Than Htike Aung for Mizzima – which had its broadcasting licence revoked earlier this month – was “arrested” as well, reported Mizzima’s Facebook page. Additional reporting by dpa, AP