17 February 2021

DVB

• In Yangon downtown, around Sule and Hladan areas,  thousands of anti-coup protesters are taking to the streets today afternoon( Feb 17) in even larger demonstrations than seen in previous days.
• The Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), one of the largest ethnic armed organizations in Myanmar,  issued a statement today (February 17) urging not to use forcely crackdown on the protesters,  and added that it welcomed all people’s efforts to end the dictatorship. The statement expressed its appreciation of international recommendations and suggestions, and urge for work together to solve the crisis of the country.
• The deposed Mandalay Region Minister for Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation,  U Myo Thit was arraigned in Chan Aye Thar San Township Court today(Feb17) under Section 505 (b) of the Penal Code, after announcing  a statement on Feb10 that it would be assume public holiday until the Nov Elections elected new government is formed. Some of the Nov elections elected cabinet ministers, including Mandalay Division Chief Minister Dr Zaw Myint Maung, were detained by the military on Feb1 and later released under house arrest.
• British Prime Minister Boris Johnson issued a strong denunciation concerning filing a new charge against Aung San Suu Kyi. He tweeted “new charges against Aung San Suu Kyi fabricated by the Myanmar military are a clear violation of her human rights,” and added “We stand with the people of Myanmar and will ensure those responsible for this coup are held to account.”
• Regarding the rumors spreading on social media, the United Nation in Myanmar announced today that no high-level delegation or high commissioner was visiting Myanmar at this time.
• Singapore’s foreign minister ViVian Balakrishnan said on Tuesday that the current situation in Myanmar was “alarming” and Singapore was concerned about violent clashes in the protests, the arrests of civil servants, internet cutoff, deployments of troops and armored vehicles, but he would not support widespread sanctions on the country as these could hurt ordinary citizens. He said that he hoped the release of all detainees including State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, President U Win Myint and the negotiation with the Military State Administrative Council.

• In the Myanmar big city, Yangon, in some townships, many cars are parked on the streets as a part of anti-coup protests by saying “Car Engine Failure”, along with,  people including student unions  extensively march  in large-scale to streets for anti-coup protests today in the morning.
• Today, the anti-coup massive rally have been gaining across the country from Myanmar’s big city,  Yangon, Mandalay, Naypyidaw, to other remote areas,  after a second charge was filed against Suu Kyi yesterday. 
• In Eainme, Ayeyarwady region, locals said that police, troops and authorities broke the doors, destroyed houses, and tried to arrest the people who helped CDM workers at nights, 3 staff from Immigration Department who joined the Civil Disobedience Movement and protested in the anti-coup demonstration have been arrested on the night of Feb 11 at around 11 p.m.
• The European Union announced on Feb 16 that it has temporarily suspended the project “Support to the Reform of Myanmar Police” which was a direct request by the Government and State Counselor with the aim to understand the best international practice and the highest standards in respecting human rights and it did not provide any equipment for armed policing. The announcement expressed that in light of interruption of the democratic transition as a result of military take-over of government control on Feb1, the EU considered the conditions were no longer in place for the project to operate and achieve the desired results. 
• There has been no pressure and discussion from the military for more than six days even though the detained Yangon region Election Commission officials have not been released yet, according to Election Commission officials. A total of 98 election officials were being detained since Feb 10 at the military MP’s housing in the Bayintnaung Tatmadaw Interrogation and doctors were also providing for health care, said Chairman U Khin Maung Win, Yangon Western District Election Sub-commission.
• As of 8 PM, 16 Feb, a total of 111,9 samples were tested and found more 22 new cases and 2 deaths. MoHS has reported 141,659 of total confirmed cases including 130,859  discharged, and 3,192 deaths.
• It is reported that police dispersed the local anti-coup protesters in Pobba Thiri township, Naypyidaw, with water cannons and arrested more than 30 anti-coup protesters on Feb 15.

• In MyaungMya, Irrawaddy region, today 16 Feb, police disperse violently by using water cannon  spraying including firing tear gas and rubber bullets to more than 30 thousand anti-coup protesters who are demanding to release 3 detained locals, leaving some protesters injured by being hit by a rubber bullet.
• The strength of the Civil Disobedience Movement-CDM is the most important to fight the military-coup, urged today(Feb16) Min Ko Naing, a well-known 88 generation student leader through a video message. He is the one of the arrest warrants listed by the military over the weekend. 
• The deposed president Win Myint and state counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi were arraigned in Zambu Thiri Township Court in NayPyiTaw by video conferencing on Feb 16 and another case under Section 25 of the Disaster Management Act was filed against Aung San Suu Kyi, said  the representing lawyer, Khin Maung Zaw. 
• The military-owned Myawaddy Bank in Yangon was opened and overcrowded on Feb 16, while most private banks were closed after the military coup. The official said that only 200 tokens would be issued for 200 cashiers a day, and no more than 5 million kyats per token. It is said that people came to withdraw money for fear of losing money.
• In Khin Oo Township, Sagaing Region, there are Farmers and staff of the Department of Agriculture, a total of 5,000 people and about 50 ox-carts protested against the military dictatorship. And also in Shwebo, Sagaing Region, tens of thousands of people marched in front of the Myanma Economic Bank to protest the coup.
• In Dawei, Tanintharyi region, 18 people were sentenced to one month in prison on Feb 15 for violating the nighttime curfew for the first time after article 144 was imposed, locals said.
• It is reported that the No. (90) passenger train was scheduled to go this morning without passengers from Mawlamyine to Yangon under the pressure from authorities while train workers were joining the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM).  But it was blocked on the way by train workers and locals. There was a confrontation between protesters and police while they were blocking, and the train finally returned to the Mawlamyine station according to the locals’ request.
• In Nyaung Lay Pin township, Bago region, 9 staff from the general administration department and 3-year-old children have been infected with Covid-19 on Feb 15 according to Township Health Department. A total of 17 staff from the Nyaung Lay Pin general administration department have joined the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) and they were temporarily suspended from their duties. 
• In Thandwe, Rakhine State,  3 anti-coup protesters were forcibly arrested and detained today, and more than 100 locals gathered in front of the police station to demand the release of the detainees.

• The Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry-UMFCCI  expressed  on Feb 15 an announcement of its opposition to the Cyber Security Bill proposed by the military. The announcement said  that it objected to the plan to be enacted earlier due to “the bill could affect the development of the local digital economy and can hinder innovation, and there may be challenges in attracting foreign investment”. There have been legal amendments meanwhile under the military state council.
• The military reported on Feb 15 on force crackdown and detating of anti-coup protesters in Mandalay and Naypyidaw yesterday. In the report, the military  said “despite Article 144 of Criminal Procedure has been imposed with the prohibition of any gatherings, there are being carried out  to cause unrest, such as rioting, shouting slogans, inciting protests and causing disturbances and that disturbances can deteriorate the State peace and stability, and  they reacted committing violent acts such as using catapults and throwing bricks to police”. 

• In Mandalay, police and troops fired rubber bullets into the people who were protesting peacefully to crack down the demonstration near Myanmar Economic Bank (Mandalay Branch 1) on the evening of Feb 15, some were injured and many protesters were arrested during the crackdown, a witness told DVB.
• After a first meeting on feb 5,  UN Special Envoy of the Secretary-General of Myanmar, Christine Schraner Burgener, spoke with Vice-Chairman of the  military administrative state council, Deputy Commander-in-Chief, U Soe Win, yesterday (Feb 15) for the second time and discussed the administration’s plans and information. “Ms Schraner Burgener has reinforced that the right of peaceful assembly must fully be respected and that demonstrators are not subjected to reprisals,” U.N. spokesman Farhan Haq said. According to a Reuters report it is assumed to be “a rare channel of communication”  between Myanmar military and the outside world.
• Mandalay region Agriculture, Livestock, and Irrigation Minister Dr.Soe Than was taken away by a group of people since Feb 1 at 4 am, his family who have been currently under house arrest told DVB that they are worried as he could not be reached so far. 
• According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners- AAPP’s statistics update on February 15, a total of 426 people have been arrested and detained in relation to the military-coup since February 1 and  among them, a total of 391 are still under detention.
• As of 8 PM, 15 Feb, a total of 887 samples were tested and found more 36 new cases and 1 death. MoHS has reported 141,637 of total confirmed cases including 130,465  discharged, and 3,190 deaths.
• In Thailand, the online registration period for migrants workers has been extended to Feb 13 and out of 654,864 registered migrant workers from Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos, a total of 384,077 Myanmar migrant workers have registered.

• On Feb 15, the US Embassy in Myanmar issued the voluntary departure of non-emergency US government employees and their family members in Myanmar and reminded all US citizens of the heightened potential for violence, continued telecommunications restrictions, and limited flights out of Myanmar. But the embassy would remain open.
• There are more than 109 million Covid-19 cases with more than 81.4 million recovered and 2.4 million deaths, and 21 countries have reported millions of Covid-19 cases worldwide, the United States has the highest number of Covid-19 cases with more than 28 million and more than 490,000 deaths, India ranks second with nearly 11 million cases and more than 150,000 deaths, Brazil is the third with more than 9.8 million and more than 230,000 deaths, according to Worldometers.

• The KNU-Karen National Union, one of the largest ethnic armed political organizations,  released a statement on Feb 14 concerning the Myanmar military coup. The statement expressed it condemned the military coup and urged international communities to help mediate between the military and the deposed government.
• The detention of deposed civilian president U Win Myint and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, have been extended until Feb 17.  As previously, their  remand was set to expire today(Monday), the representative lawyer told the media. The deposed president U Win Myint has been charged under the Natural Disaster Management Law and also Daw Aung San Suu Kyi under the Import and Export Law. The cases are planning to be heard via video conferencing  in Zabu Thiri Court, Naypyidaw.
• Ye Township, Mon State, tens of thousands of people marched today as the eighth day of the anti-coup protest. In addition, there was a sit-in protest for nearly an hour in front of the collective offices where most of the Govt department’s offices are located. 
• Most private banks including branches closed in Yangon today office day of February 15, along with there are tens of thousands protesting in front of the Yangon Central Bank where several military trucks full of soldiers, riot police, water-cannon trucks. 
• Three of the five journalists arrested by the military during covering yesterday(Feb14) night protest at a power plant in Myitkyina, Kachin State  have been released.
• Riot police arrested about 30  high school students, who are protesting the anti-coup  in Naypyidaw on the morning of February 15, and  in front of Nay Pyi Taw Prison, students’ parents and the public were demanding the release of the students.
• It is reported that protesters in Bamaw district, Kachin state, have intensified their anti-coup demonstration on Feb 14 despite threats against CDM workers. 

• A total of 114 civil society organizations (CSOs) in Kayin State announced a statement today (Feb 15) that called on the Kayin armed organizations not to associate with those who seized power and expressed they (114 CSOs) considered that the peace process was over as the military has arrested the top NLD leaders including State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and President U Win Myint. 
• More than 50,000 people in Pyin Oo Lwin, Mandalay, staged the anti-coup demonstration peacefully today even though there were police and troops at the rally. And all civil servants (except for Myanmar Economic Bank and General Administration Dept) have joined the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM).

• More than 2,000 locals in Toksan village tract, Kyaukme district, northern Shan state, were trapped in the clash between the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS), leaving some injured and houses damaged due to artillery shelling on Sunday.
• Today in the evening, the NLD headquarters in Yangon was cordoned off by military trucks full of soldiers and riot police, and there were thousands of anti-coup  protesters who were demanding the release of those trapped inside the headquarters.

• The military administrative state council announced on Feb 14 the amendment of Penal Code by substituting section 121 and 124.  
• The military administrative state council issued on Feb 14 the announcement of the amendment of the Code of Criminal Procedure, by supplementation of some sections.
• After a forced crackdown in Mandalay and Mawlamyine, Naypyidaw, police forced clashes with anti-coup demonstrators, in Myitkyina, the capital city of Kachin State last night and 5 journalists were among those arrested.
• Western embassies in Myanmar called on the security forces to refrain from violence against the demonstrators and civilians who are protesting the overthrow of their legitimate government and denounced the military’s interruption of communication as well as the restriction of the Myanmar people’s fundamental rights and basic legal protections, according to the joint statement last night (Sunday) issued by embassies of 12 European nations, the United States and Canada
• It is reported that a group of protesters held signs urging the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) in front of the Central Bank Yangon where the armored military vehicles and troops deployed this morning. And film artists have also joined the protest.
• As of 8 PM, 14 Feb, a total of 702 samples were tested and found more 16 new cases and 1 death. MoHS has reported 141,601 of total confirmed cases including 

130,331  discharged, and 3,189 deaths.

• The military has withdrawn the money from Myanmar Economic Bank 1 and 2 at around 6 am and 8 am this morning, the close source to the bank told DVB. The reason and the amount of money withdrawn was unknown yet. 
• From Feb 9 to Feb 14 in Magway region, a  total of 18 people have been charged under section 188 of the penal code for violating the nighttime curfew and released on bail, according to the regional police force. 
• Myanmar railway workers involved in the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) were forced to return to work as the rail transports were being affected. Today in Mahlwagone Diesel Railway Repair Plant, Yangon, general administrators, and armed police members have come and tried to arrest CDM workers.