ASIA/MYANMAR - "The military say 'peace' but brutality and violence increase"

Thursday, 11 March 2021 youth military civil society peace violence

MYANMAR

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Yangon (Agenzia Fides) - "The military wants to show the people and the whole world that they are making peace and that they intend to relaunch dialogue with ethnic groups. This is why they have removed the label of a 'terrorist group' from the Arakan Army. However, the violence and brutality of the military is becoming harsher. In Yangon, yesterday alone we counted 35 dead. Today there are already 12, according to the news that activists also exchange on social media", reports a source of Fides in Myanmar, anonymous for security reasons. According to the source in question, "the demonstrations continue in many cities and on the basis of the reports collected on the ground, the young people killed by the soldiers since the beginning of the protest are more than 100 while the army continues to launch night operations, arresting peaceful people".
Meanwhile, in a press conference held today, 11 March, the ruling military junta announced that it will not accept any mediation from outside the country, and that it does not intend to start any negotiations. "We expect more and more deaths. Our hope now is only the movement of civil disobedience and non-violent resistance. The strength of the military is important and based on weapons, but just as much ideal and moral strength is found in the population that is on the streets. Young people do not intend to give up and abandon their dreams", notes the source of Fides. In addition, following the recent repressive wave, with the order to "fire on the defenseless crowd", more than 100 police officers deserted and joined the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM).
Meanwhile, the military junta has removed the armed ethnic group "Arakan Army" (AA) from the list of terrorist groups. In announcing the measure, on March 10, the military's governing body, the State Administration Council (SAC) affirmed that the AA - which operated in the Rakhine state, in the west of the country, where the Royingya Muslim minority s also present - is no longer carrying out terrorist acts while the SAC "works to establish peace at the national level". The AA has held two negotiation sessions with the military since the end of November and has reportedly decided to stop the fighting.
A year ago, on March 23, 2020, the Central Counter-Terrorism Committee declared the "Rakhine United League for Arakan" or "Arakan Army" a "terrorist organization", following attacks against the security forces. The AA stepped up fighting with the military in November 2018 and early November 2020. The conflict claimed hundreds of civilian victims and more than 200,000 residents displaced. The military and the civilian government of Myanmar have brought hundreds of residents in Rakhine State to justice, accusing them of affiliation with the group and accusing them under anti-terrorism law.
The military junta in Myanmar took power on February 1 and arrested more than 2,000 people, including President U Win Myint, State Councilor Aung San Suu Kyi, ministers, activists and protesters who oppose the regime. According to local sources, in the past month more than 100 people, including many young people, have been killed during repressive actions carried out by the police against the population engaged in a peaceful spontaneous protest across the country. (JZ-PA) (Agenzia Fides, 11/3/2021)