Facebook barred Myanmar’s military from using the company’s platforms weeks after the armed services seized power (New York Times)
Meanwhile, supporters of the junta attacked pro-democracy protesters in the city of Yangon today (Reuters)
UN: Rohingya Refugees Adrift in Boat Without Food and Water
Approximately ninety Rohingya refugees are adrift in a boat in the Andaman Sea without food or water according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Some of the refugees have reportedly died and the exact location of the boat is unknown (Associated Press)
Protests Continue in Myanmar Despite Violence
Myanmar reached a standstill today as workers went on strike and hundreds of thousands of people across the country protested the military junta that seized power on February 1 (Washington Post)
The military warned it would use lethal force and the police shot and killed two protesters on Saturday (Guardian)
Separately, he United Nations refugee agency called for the immediate rescue of a group of Rohingya refugees adrift in their boat in the Andaman Sea after experiencing engine failure. The refugees were without food or water, many of them ill and suffering from extreme dehydration (Reuters)
First Myanmar Protester Dies as International Pressure on Junta Mounts
A hospital in Myanmar’s capital, Naypyidaw, announced the death of a woman shot by police last week during protests against the February 1 military coup (Agence France-Presse, Bloomberg)
Canada and the United Kingdom yesterday sanctioned Myanmar’s ruling generals (Al Jazeera)
Myanmar’s Junta Issues Arrest Warrants for Celebrities
The military announced arrest warrants for six celebrities for urging civil servants to participate in protests against the military’s seizure of power. Nearly five hundred people have been arrested since the February 1 coup (Reuters)
Public Continues to Pressure Myanmar’s Junta
In one of the largest demonstrations since Myanmar’s military seized power more than two weeks ago, protestors called for the release of detained officials and sought to discredit the military’s claim of overwhelming public support for its coup (Al Jazeera)
In places including Yangon, Myanmar’s largest city, motorists stopped their vehicles on roadways to impede military and police trucks (Reuters, Agence France-Presse)
Myanmar’s Junta Denies Coup as Crackdown Continues
In its first official press briefing, a spokesperson for Myanmar’s junta denied that its February 1 takeover was a coup and said the military will eventually proceed with an election while trying to avoid violence. The comments came after the junta shut down internet access for two nights (Bloomberg)
Myanmar Protests Surge as Junta Cracks Down
Hundreds of thousands of people defied a ban on mass gatherings as they protested in Myanmar today in the largest demonstrations yet (Reuters)
Today’s demonstrations were mostly peaceful, but three people were reportedly wounded when police fired rubber bullets in the city of Mawlamyine (Reuters)
U.S. Imposes Sanctions on Leaders of Myanmar Coup
President Biden announced that the United States will sanction the leaders of Myanmar’s military coup, apply export controls, and freeze U.S. assets that benefit the country’s government. Meanwhile, mass protests and arrests of former government officials continue (CNN)
Protests Erupt Across Myanmar in Coup’s Wake
Tens of thousands of people across Myanmar have protested in the past three days against last week’s military coup and the arrest of leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Yesterday’s demonstrations were the country’s largest since the 2007 Saffron Revolution, which prompted a military crackdown and helped usher in democratic reforms (NPR)
International Pressure Mounts Over Myanmar’s Coup
The UN Security Council called for Myanmar’s military junta to release detained leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other officials, while the Biden administration said the military should relinquish power (Reuters)
Indonesia and Malaysia today urged a meeting of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries to discuss Myanmar (Straits Times)
Myanmar Junta Blocks Facebook Access
Citing a need to ensure stability, the military junta blocked access to Facebook, a rallying platform for the opposition, until February 7. The United Nations intends to pressure Myanmar so that the coup fails, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said (Reuters)
Myanmar’s Deposed Leader Charged as Crisis Deepens
Police charged Aung San Suu Kyi with illegally importing communications equipment after the military forced her from power on Monday (Al Jazeera)
A spokesperson for Suu Kyi’s party said she has been “remanded in custody” until February 15. The UN Security Council failed to condemn the coup after meeting yesterday (Euronews)
UN Security Council Meets in Wake of Myanmar Coup
The UN Security Council will meet today to discuss a response to the Myanmar military’s seizure of power, including measures to promote the Burmese people’s will and ensure the release of civil society leaders (Agence France-Presse, Associated Press, Reuters)
A UN spokesman said the United Nations fears the military coup may make situation worse for Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar (Reuters)
Myanmar’s Military Stages Coup, Sparking International Outcry
Myanmar’s military seized power after detaining leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other civilian government officials in an early morning raid hours before the country’s new parliament was set to convene (BBC)
Military-controlled television announced that Myanmar is now under a yearlong state of emergency and that Senior General Min Aung Hlaing controls the country. The military pledged to hold a “free and fair general election” when the state of emergency ends (Reuters, Agence France-Presse, Bloomberg)
International officials, including in the United States, the European Union, and the United Nations, expressed concern (Al Jazeera)
Thousands of Additional Rohingya Refugees Moved Out of Bangladesh
Authorities moved nearly two thousand Rohingya refugees from a camp in Cox’s Bazar to an island in the Bay of Bengal. About four thousand refugees have already been sent to the island, but human rights groups have criticized the moved, contending that the relocation was forced (Associated Press)
Hundreds of Rohingya Missing From Indonesian Refugee Camp
Hundreds of Rohingya refugees are missing from a camp on the country’s northern coast. Authorities fear that they were trafficked to nearby Malaysia (Agence France-Presse)
Bangladesh, Myanmar Resume Talks on Rohingya Repatriation
During their first talks in a year, officials discussed beginning to repatriate Rohingya refugees living in Bangladesh in the second quarter of 2021. Rohingya refugees protested previous repatriation attempts, saying they would not return to Myanmar without safety guarantees (Radio Free Asia)
Fire Destroys Rohingya Refugees’ Homes in Bangladesh
The United Nations’ refugee agency said more than 550 shelters that housed around 3,500 people were destroyed or damaged by a massive fire in a camp for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh’s southern district of Cox’s Bazar (Reuters)
Bangladesh Continues Moving Rohingya to Island
The government continues to relocate Rohingya refugees to a remote island despite concerns from international rights groups about safety and security (Guardian)
Bangladesh Begins Moving Rohingya Refugees to Remote Island
Bangladesh started moving Rohingya families from camps near its border with Myanmar to a settlement on a remote island, despite opposition from rights groups who say the move was done without Rohingya refugees’ consent. More than 1,600 refugees set sail today (Guardian)
Myanmar’s Suu Kyi Holds On to Power
Myanmar’s National League for Democracy party, led by the country’s de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, won an overwhelming majority in parliament, according to official election results released yesterday. Sunday’s vote was the second competitive election the country has held in decades, though many minority voters were disenfranchised (New York Times)
Myanmar’s Ruling Party Claims Election Win
Myanmar’s ruling National League for Democracy party claimed it won a parliamentary majority in yesterday’s election, though official results have not yet been released (Associated Press)
The party, led by Aung San Suu Kyi, had been expected to return to power in the election, which saw strong turnout despite the disenfranchisement of many people, including the Rohingya (New York Times)
Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi Poised for Reelection
Myanmar’s de facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, is expected to retain power in the country’s general election on Sunday. Human Rights Watch has called the election “fundamentally flawed” due to the exclusion of minorities, including the Rohingya (Guardian)
Hundreds Flee Gang Violence in Rohingya Refugee Camps
Gang violence in Rohingya refugee camps have forced hundreds to flee. Seven people have died in the past week (Guardian)