Myanmar army suspends laws limiting forces, hunts protest backers

[rooster59]

Myanmar army suspends laws limiting forces, hunts protest backers

 

Demonstrators hold up signs during a protest against the military coup and demanding the release of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi, in Yangon, Myanmar, February 13, 2021. REUTERS/Stringer

 

(Reuters) - Myanmar's junta on Saturday suspended laws constraining security forces from detaining suspects or searching private property without court approval and ordered the arrest of well-known backers of mass protests against this month's coup.

 

A series of announcements came on the eighth day of country-wide demonstrations against the Feb. 1 takeover and detention of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi, which halted an unsteady transition to democracy that began in 2011.

 

The announcements bore echoes of the near half-century of military rule before reforms began, when the Southeast Asian country was one of the world's most repressive and isolated states.

 

An order signed by military ruler General Min Aung Hlaing suspended three sections of laws "protecting the privacy and security of the citizens", which had been introduced during the gradual liberalisation.

 

Those sections include the requirement for a court order to detain prisoners beyond 24 hours and constraints on security forces' ability to enter private property to search it or make arrests. The suspensions also free up spying on communications.

 

The statement gave no specific end date.

 

The coup has prompted the biggest street protests in more than a decade and has been denounced by Western countries, with the United States announcing some sanctions on the ruling generals and other countries also considering measures.

 

As anti-coup protests sprang up again in the biggest city Yangon, the capital Naypyitaw and elsewhere on Saturday, the army said arrest warrants had been issued for seven high profile critics of military rule over their comments on social media.

 

People should inform the police if they spot any of those named and will be punished if they shelter them, the army's True News information team said in a statement.

 

It said cases had been filed under a law which provides up to two years jail for comments that could cause alarm or "threaten tranquillity".

 

On the wanted list is Min Ko Naing, 58, who was imprisoned for most of the time between 1988 and 2012, and who has been prominent in encouraging protests and a civil disobedience movement followed by a swathe of government workers.

 

Reuters was not immediately able to reach him for comment.

 

COUP OPPONENTS

 

Others with warrants against them included "Jimmy" Kyaw Min Yu, also a veteran of the 1988 student uprising, and singer "Lin Lin" Htwe Lin Ko.

 

"I am so proud to have a warrant issued along with Min Ko Naing. Catch me if you can," said Ei Pencilo, to her more than 1.6 million followers on Facebook.

 

Like several others named, she worked with Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD), which won a landslide in a November election the army alleged to be tainted with fraud - an accusation dismissed by the electoral commission.

 

Protests in support of Suu Kyi and the election sprang up across Myanmar again on Saturday in spite of a junta call for people to avoid mass gatherings due to the coronavirus epidemic.

 

The junta also appealed to civil servants who have been following the civil disobedience campaign to return to work, with a threat of possible disciplinary action against those who do not.

 

The United Nations human rights office said on Friday more than 350 people have been arrested in Myanmar since the coup.

 

Journalist Shwe Yee Win, who had reported on opposition to the coup in the western town of Pathein, was taken away by police and soldiers on Thursday and has not been heard from since, her TimeAyeyar news website and her mother said.

 

"I am really worried," said Thein Thein, now looking after her daughter's one-year-old child.

 

The government did not respond to requests for comment.

 

The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners voiced concern about a wave of overnight arrests.

 

"Family members are left with no knowledge of the charges, location, or condition of their loved ones. These are not isolated incidents, and nighttime raids are targeting dissenting voices," it said in a statement.

 

Suu Kyi, for decades the standard bearer of the fight for democracy in Myanmar, faces charges of illegally importing and using six walkie-talkie radios.

 

NLD press officer Kyi Toe said on Facebook that she was healthy under house arrest in the capital Naypyitaw.

 

The coup and detentions have prompted anger from Western countries and the 47-member U.N. Human Rights Council adopted a resolution on Friday calling on Myanmar to release detainees and refrain from using violence against protesters.

 

The United States this week began imposing sanctions on the ruling generals and some businesses linked to them.

 

(Reporting by Reuters staff; Writing by Matthew Tostevin; Editing by William Mallard, Angus MacSwan and Mark Potter)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-02-14

 

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[natway09]

Back to square one.

Now you see why they want to work & stay here in Thailand ?

I worked in Mandalay some time ago now, but even then  had 5 roadblocks in on a 42 KM stretch of road. I was sort of ignored but the locals treated like dogs.

Sad state of affairs but ASEAN will continue to say it is "internal politics" & will not interfere

ASEAN as an organization is the most useless waste money that they could ever have started.

"The toothless Tiger"

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, rooster59 said:

An order signed by military ruler General Min Aung Hlaing suspended three sections of laws "protecting the privacy and security of the citizens", which had been introduced during the gradual liberalisation.

 

Those sections include the requirement for a court order to detain prisoners beyond 24 hours and constraints on security forces' ability to enter private property to search it or make arrests. The suspensions also free up spying on communications.

The whole world should publicly condemn the military leaders,  stop all monetary aid, trade and businesses. Bring the junta to its knees as a failed state and refuse to negotiate with them until a freely elected government is back in place.

[Thailand]

15 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

The whole world should publicly condemn the military leaders,  stop all monetary aid, trade and businesses. Bring the junta to its knees as a failed state and refuse to negotiate with them until a freely elected government is back in place.

Same as they did when the same thing happened here 7 years ago?

[phil2407]

Shame the IMF just given them $350 million tax free & no recourse to get it back 

[ikke1959]

Amazing that people can respond on the demonstrators in Myanmar but the same situation in Thailand is blocked for comments... Thailand is so far behind in free expression of opinions even the journalists dont't stand up. Myanmar has the guts and the people will be an example for the Thais....It would be better that the international community steps in in these illegal governments and start to boycot them ..... but as always money always speaks

[Burma Bill]

Wishful thinking, but wouldn't it be great if some one sent in special forces on a covert mission to take out the Generals in power!! Plenty of natural border crossings into Burma.

[hotchilli]

13 hours ago, Thailand said:

Same as they did when the same thing happened here 7 years ago?

Which is my point, being diplomatic with the military doesn't work... force them out.

[Scott Tracy]

15 hours ago, hotchilli said:

The whole world should publicly condemn the military leaders,  stop all monetary aid, trade and businesses. Bring the junta to its knees as a failed state and refuse to negotiate with them until a freely elected government is back in place.

 

Why...?

 

As in Thailand, the people seem want this this sort of thing, every so often. It has been said that the people get the governments they deserve. 

Wiki says there are 590,000 Myanmar people in the army. 2.4 billion dollar budget in 2014. 53.5 million people in Myanmar. So the armed forces are 1.1% of the population.

The West is so focussed on this. It's a travesty, they say, beating their chests. Wailing and moaning. The people could sort this out in no time. 

 

You are my son, my daughter, you will not obey unlawful orders given to you by your superiors, who are also sons and daughters of the people. The people rule, if only they realised this. 

How can my son kill other Burmese, arrest other Burmese in the night, torture other Burmese...?

 

Because I let him.

 

 

 

[hotchilli]

31 minutes ago, Scott Tracy said:

 

Why...?

 

As in Thailand, the people seem want this this sort of thing, every so often. It has been said that the people get the governments they deserve. 

Wiki says there are 590,000 Myanmar people in the army. 2.4 billion dollar budget in 2014. 53.5 million people in Myanmar. So the armed forces are 1.1% of the population.

The West is so focussed on this. It's a travesty, they say, beating their chests. Wailing and moaning. The people could sort this out in no time. 

 

You are my son, my daughter, you will not obey unlawful orders given to you by your superiors, who are also sons and daughters of the people. The people rule, if only they realised this. 

How can my son kill other Burmese, arrest other Burmese in the night, torture other Burmese...?

 

Because I let him.

 

 

 

The latest vote was a landslide in favour of democracy and a free government.. the people did speak out at the ballot box.

The election committee upheld the vote saying it was legal,however the military would not except this so have taken the country by force.

The people of Myanmanr need the help of the outside world to get the military out of power... this can only be done by cutting off funds which are freely given by the west and sanctions on trade.

When the military cannot continue without money they will go back to the negotiating table.

[simon43]

[quote]

...The people of Myanmanr need the help of the outside world to get the military out of power... this can only be done by cutting off funds which are freely given by the west and sanctions on trade....

[/quote]

 

That will never happen.  There are too many countries willing to do business with Myanmar, just as it was when I was a teacher in Yangon many years ago.  Asean countries seem to be the main culprits.

 

IMHO, the only way out of this situation involves the death of many Myanmar people, probably running into hundreds of thousands.

 

Banging pots and pans will get them nowhere ????