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Myanmar has been in turmoil since the February 1 military coup, with daily protests in towns and fighting in border areas between the military and ethnic minority militias, some of which have only existed for a few years. weeks.
“This crisis could push people to cross international borders in search of safety, as we have already seen in other parts of the country,” the UN in Myanmar said in a statement.
He urged all parties to “urgently take the necessary measures and precautions to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure”.
Myanmar’s foreign minister defended the junta’s plan to restore democracy, state media reported on Tuesday after a meeting in which his counterparts from the Association of Nations of the ASEAN (Association of Nations of the Nations) member states ‘Southeast Asia) urged the junta to honor a consensus agreement to end the violence and begin dialogue. with his opponents.
State media quoted junta envoy, retired Army Col. Wunna Maung Lwin, as saying at the meeting that the military has made progress on its own five-step roadmap, unveiled after the Coup d’Etat.
This plan has few similarities to the ASEAN master plan and focuses on investigating suspected frauds in the November elections, handling the coronavirus outbreak in Myanmar, and organizing another election. , after which the junta promised to cede power.
China pushes ASEAN plan
“The minister informed the meeting that the only way to guarantee a disciplined and genuine democratic system was the future five-point program which was declared in February,” the Global New Light of Myanmar daily reported.
The military defended its takeover, claiming that the former election commission ignored its fraud complaints from Aung San Suu Kyi’s ruling party.
Wunna Maung Lwin met separately on Tuesday with her Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, and told him Myanmar was “determined to maintain national stability and social tranquility,” according to a statement from China.
He said Myanmar “appreciates China’s support for the peace and reconciliation process,” he said.
Wang said the ASEAN plan should be implemented, violence avoided, stability restored and the democratic process restarted, the statement added.
Opponents of the junta are wary of China, one of the few countries that previously had influence over Myanmar’s generals. Unlike Western countries, China has not criticized the coup.
An opposition-appointed “shadow government” was angered by a statement from the Chinese embassy that called junta leader Min Aung Hlaing the “leader” of Myanmar.
The United Nations, Western countries and China all support ASEAN’s mediation efforts in the crisis, which were sparked by the military’s decision to end a decade of attempted democracy and international integration that she herself had initiated.
But by regaining control, he was unable to stop the top-down protests in Myanmar. A human rights group says government forces killed at least 849 protesters, although the military disputes the figure.
Need shelter and food
The United Nations said on Monday that those who fled Kayah were in urgent need of shelter, food, water and health care, and urged security forces to pass aid workers and supplies through.
Kayah, also known as Karenni and which borders Thailand, is one of the many areas where volunteers from the People’s Defense Forces attacked the well-equipped army, which retaliated with heavy weapons and airstrikes, triggering an exodus. towards the neighboring forests.
Thailand, which fears an influx of refugees, expressed concern over the fighting and urged the junta to take the measures agreed with ASEAN.
Images taken on Monday and obtained by Reuters showed a plume of smoke over the town of Kayah in Mobye, which anti-junta militias were forced to flee after the army used heavy weapons, a fighter said. to Reuters.
Reuters is unable to independently verify the accounts. State television made no mention of the conflict in Kayah in its evening newscast and a junta spokesperson did not respond to several calls for comment.
Fighting has also taken place in recent weeks in Demoso, Hpruso and the state capital, Loikaw, where one resident described a climate of fear, with troops looting shops and questioning locals.
“People are afraid to come out,” said the 25-year-old, who asked not to be identified for security reasons.
“If people come out, the soldiers stop and interrogate them and sometimes shoot them. “
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