2023 - Page 21 of 53 - Investigative Journalism Reportika

Myanmar junta revokes anti-coup movement publisher’s license

Editor2 years ago03 mins

Myanmar’s junta has revoked the license of a publishing house run by a man involved in the country’s civil disobedience movement, junta-controlled newspapers said. The revocation is seen as a warning that the junta is closely watching the publishing industry for any dissent. Saturday’s reports said Dr. Phyo Thiha lost the license for his company, Piti Eain Literature, due to his social media posts criticizing the junta. They said his writing was a threat to national security, the rule of law and public order but did not say what was problematic about the books Piti Eain publishes. The medical doctor said the proceeds of his company’s book sales went to help victims of the fighting in Myanmar. “Now that the publishing license has been revoked it means we can no longer publish anything under the name of this book house,” Phyo Thiha told Radio Free Asia. “I have been quietly selling old books that I have published before. I live here on that income and donate to war-torn IDPs [internally displaced persons].“ Piti Eain Literature mostly published books on psychology and Buddhist teachings and nothing that could be deemed anti-junta, the doctor said, calling the decision personal. Another publisher, who wished to remain anonymous, said the revocation of Piti Eain’s license set a dangerous precedent. “This means [the junta] is monitoring both the publication of books and social media,” they said. “If something is wrong they will ban it. It is a warning and threat to the entire publishing community.” The junta has revoked the licenses of four publishers and two printing houses since the February 2021 coup. Some 14 media outlets including Democratic Voice of Burma, Mizzima and The Irrawaddy have also lost their licenses. Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Mike Firn and Elaine Chan.

Close call as Chinese ships again harass Philippine ships in Manila’s EEZ

Editor2 years ago014 mins

The Chinese ships began to swarm around the BRP Cabra soon after 7 a.m. on Friday, sailing uncomfortably close to and hemming in the Philippine Coast Guard ship as it escorted civilian boats toward Ayungin Shoal. A China Coast Guard ship, with bow number CCG 21616, was the first to arrive on scene some 10 nautical miles (18.5 km) from the shoal located in South China Sea waters within the Philippines exclusive economic zone. A BenarNews correspondent and other reporters, who were given special permission to travel aboard the Cabra and another coast guard ship for the resupply mission, witnessed the tense moments at sea. Similar scenes where Chinese ships acted aggressively had played out lately during previous Philippine missions to deliver supplies to the BRP Sierra Madre, a rusty old navy ship that serves as Manila’s military outpost at Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal. “Philippine vessel, you are approaching the waters of China. To avoid miscalculation and misunderstanding, please inform your intention,” the China Coast Guard ship radioed to the BRP Cabra at around 6:30 a.m. The Cabra radioed back, saying it was “conducting lawful routine maritime patrol within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone in accordance with international and Philippine laws.” “Request to stay clear from our passage in accordance with collision regulations,” the radio operator said from the Cabra’s bridge. About 30 minutes later, at least three other CCG ships and vessels from China’s maritime militia fleet joined the fray. The Chinese ships then executed maneuvers to try to impede the civilian boats’ passage that Philippine Coast Guard officials described as dangerously close. A CCG vessel, with bow number 21551, repeatedly tried to cut the Cabra’s path to separate it from one of the supply boats. After failing to overtake the Cabra from the right side, CCG 21551 then sped up to overtake it from the left side. As the Chinese ship executed this maneuver, it sailed toward the Cabra and then abruptly stopped only three to five meters (9.8 to 16.4 feet) from the Philippine ship, PCG officials said. During the standoff, at least a dozen more radio exchanges as well as challenges and counter-challenges ensued between the Philippine and Chinese ships. “Your behavior has infringed upon [the] authority, security, and interest of China. I warn you, please leave the area immediately. Any consequences will be borne by you,” a voice from CCG 5305, the largest of the China Coast Guard ships present, warned the Cabra’s crew. After being separated from their PCG escort ships, as the Chinese ships had intended, the Filipino civilian boats managed to sail on, reach the Sierra Madre, pick up Philippine Navy personnel and deliver food and other supplies. The coast guard rated the latest mission a success, despite the tense encounter with the Chinese vessels. “The routine RoRe [rotational and resupply] mission was again subjected to dangerous maneuvers, jeopardizing the crew members’ safety aboard the PCG vessels and Philippine supply boats,” Commodore Jay Tarriela, the Philippine Coast Guard spokesman on the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea), said in a statement to media. This photo taken by a drone shows the Philippine Coast Guard Ship BRP Cabra surrounded by Chinese coast guard and maritime militia ships in South China Sea (West Philippine Sea) waters near Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal, Sept. 8, 2023. Credit: Handout/Philippine Coast Guard During Friday’s incident, the PCG said it had recorded 10 instances of dangerous maneuvers carried out by four CCG ships and four Chinese maritime militia ships toward the BRP Cabra and another Philippine Coast Guard ship, the BRP Sindangan. Two Chinese warships from the People’s Liberation Army Navy were also spotted monitoring the area. At one point, CCG 5305 blew its horn three times while crossing the bow of BRP Sindangan at a distance of approximately 50 to 60 yards. The BRP Cabra, for its part, was corralled by five Chinese ships: three maritime militia vessels and a CCG ship in front, and another CCG ship behind. Overnight journey The crews of the Cabra and Sindangan, 44-meter-long (144.3-feet-long) coast guard multi-purpose response vessels, and the journalists aboard them had left the Philippine island of Palawan at around 9 a.m. on Thursday. The coast guard ships were deployed to escort two small supply boats, the Unaizah May 1 and Unaizah May 2, which the Philippine Navy had commissioned for its routine rotational and resupply mission. The wooden boats were transporting food, supplies, and a new batch of sailors headed to the Sierra Madre, a decrepit World War II-era ship. In 1999, the Philippines deliberately ran it aground in Ayungin Shoal, which lies in the contested Spratly Islands, in response to China’s occupation of nearby Mischief Reef. The two Unaizah May boats and the PCG vessels met up near Sabina Shoal late Thursday night, with the two smaller ships sailing between the coast guard ships. “That was the instruction to us, protect the Unaizah May boats,” Emmanuel Dangate, the commander of the Cabra, told the reporters aboard his ship. Emmanuel Dangate, commanding officer of the BRP Cabra, looks out from the ship’s bridge as Chinese vessels try to cut its path and maneuver close to it in waters near Ayungin Shoal, Sept. 8, 2023. Credit: Camille Elemia/BenarNews View from the bridge During Friday’s standoff, the atmosphere on the bridge of the Cabra was quiet and sober as the Chinese ships closed in on the PCG ship. Some of the crew were even smiling and joking around. Dangate, the Cabra’s skipper, remained calm as he gazed ahead from the bridge and gave orders to his crew. “During this kind of mission, it ignites our patriotism and dedication,” the commanding officer told the select group of reporters, who had been allowed to travel to get a rare first-hand view of one of the Philippine resupply missions. From time to time, he would look through his binoculars and ask brief questions to his team. “Does that ship have an AIS [automatic identification system]?” he asked, pointing to a distant vessel…

G20 ends on high note for Indian host

Editor2 years ago08 mins

The G20 wound up on Sunday with leaders visiting a memorial statue to Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi, a day after adding 55 new member states via the African Union and coming up with a compromise communique soft on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited the African Union to join the G20 as a permanent member on Saturday in his opening remarks, calling on members to end a “global trust deficit.” “It is time for all of us to move together,” Modi said. Despite widespread anticipation that this year’s summit would be a damp squib, it appeared to have featured some significant pushback on China’s apparent unwillingness to play ball with the developed world. Modi announced on Saturday that negotiators had resolved deep differences over the wording on the war in Ukraine, but the phrasing – not invasion by Russia but “war in Ukraine” – was clearly a bone to Russia and China, whose leaders did not attend. China and Russia were opposed to any joint statement that censures Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. U.S. President Joe Biden skipped the final session of the summit, heading to Vietnam, where a Whitehouse official said the two nations would elevate their relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership, putting it on a par with Beijing and Moscow’s engagement with Hanoi. U.S. President Joe Biden leaves for Vietnam after attending the G20 Summit, in New Delhi, India, Sunday, Sept. 10, 2023. Credit: AP Modi pronounced the summit a success. “On the back of the hard work of all the teams, we have received consensus on the G20 Leaders Summit Declaration. I announce the adoption of this declaration,” Modi told the G20 leaders in New Delhi. “#G20India has been the MOST ambitious in the history of #G20 presidencies. With 112 outcomes and presidency documents, we have more than tripled the substantive work from previous presidencies,” said India’s G20 Sherpa representative Amitabh Kant on social media. Commentators said that it was significant that India appeared to be ready to take a more assertive role in global politics. Modi ended the summit by passing on the ceremonial gavel to Brazil’s president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, whose country takes over the bloc’s presidency. Welcome Africa The announcement of permanent inclusion of the 55-nation African Union (AU) is likely to be a blow for Chinese president Xi Jinping, who did not attend the summit for unknown reasons, and recently heralded the new membership of six countries in the BRICS grouping as “historic.” The AU’s young population of 1.3 billion is expected to double by 2050, when it will account for a quarter of the global population. It’s strategically important to both China, Africa’s largest trading partner and one of its largest lenders, and Russia, its leading arms provider. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, right, shares a light moment with African Union Chairman Azali Assoumani upon his arrival at Bharat Mandapam convention center for the G20 Summit in New Delhi, India, Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023. Credit: Pool via Reuters Meanwhile, in what will likely be seen as a challenge to Xi’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), U.S. President Joe Biden, Modi and allies announced a rail and shipping corridor connecting India with the Middle East and ultimately Europe. The project will include the United States, India, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the European Union and other countries in the G20. Commentators speculate it will enable greater trade and be an ambitious counter to China’s massive BRI, through which it has sought to invest and lend its way to making its economy better connected with the world. Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, left, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shake hands next to U.S. President Joe Biden on the first day of the G20 summit in New Delhi, India, Sept. 9, 2023. Credit: AP/POOL The moves on Saturday, which were roundly seen as pushback against China, came against a background of speculation as to why China’s Xi was not present and calls for Beijing to explain itself. “It’s incumbent upon the Chinese government to explain” why its leader “would or would not participate,” Jon Finer, the U.S. deputy national security adviser, told reporters in Delhi. He said there was speculation that China is “giving up on G20” in favor of groupings like BRICS, where it is dominant. Chinese Premier Li Qiang, who attended the summit as a representative of Xi, called on the European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for greater unity and cooperation between the two sides to counter global uncertainties, according to a statement on Sunday from China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Li urged the EU to provide a non-discriminatory environment for Chinese companies, as the bloc becomes warier of the risks of engaging China, seeing it as a “systemic rival” since 2019. Edited by Mike Firn and Elaine Chan.

Vietnam wants it all in balancing its ties with the US and China

Editor2 years ago017 mins

President Joe Biden is heading to Vietnam for a visit that will upgrade bilateral relations to a “strategic comprehensive partnership,” a symbolic step that opens the door to wider cooperation between former Cold War foes who are now grappling with an assertive, powerful China. The elevated status is a symbolic gesture that recognizes the developed state of U.S.-Vietnam ties, almost 30 years after they normalized diplomatic relations and a half century since the end of the Vietnam War. But it doesn’t reflect a fundamental change in Vietnamese policy. Indeed, it should be seen as a manifestation of what Hanoi calls its omnidirectional and independent foreign policy. The overall growth of the relationship will remain hemmed in by the fact that the communist leaders who run Vietnam share the same world view as those who control China. In a partnership hierarchy created by the Vietnamese government, at the very top are neighbors Laos and Cambodia. However, what was once Vietnam’s secure western flank is now a source of concern with China’s surge in influence through investment, lending, development projects, and corruption. Comprehensive strategic partnerships had been reserved for Vietnam’s friends since the days of the revolution: Russia, China, and India. In 2023, in recognition of their burgeoning economic relationship, Vietnam elevated South Korea to that pantheon, recently followed by Singapore and Australia, and soon Indonesia. Liu Jianchao [shown], the head of the Communist Party of China’s International Liaison Department, recently met with General Secretary of Communist Party of Vietnam, Nguyen Phu Trong. Credit: Andy Wong/AP file photo For the U.S., the leapfrog from Vietnam’s comprehensive partner to a comprehensive strategic partner is important for three reasons. First, for top leaders in Hanoi, symbolism does matter. That a former foe is now on a par with revolutionary era friends is a win. Second, this upgrade will not please China, even though Hanoi has worked assiduously to try to convince Beijing that it is maintaining its independent foreign policy. It is inconceivable that Hanoi has not briefed Beijing on this, and Communist Party of Vietnam General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong has made party-to-party ties stronger than ever. He would not have approved the relationship upgrade if he felt insecure by Beijing’s reaction. Five days before Biden’s expected arrival this weekend, Liu Jianchao, the head of the Chinese Communist Party’s International Liaison Department met with Trong, who no doubt gave him further assurances. While Washington may want to rankle Beijing, which has overplayed its hand in the region with its aggressive South China Sea behavior and hawkish “Wolf Warrior” diplomacy, its real goal is to see Vietnam be strong enough to assert its vaunted autonomous foreign policy. Hanoi will no doubt be sending a politburo-level delegation to assure Beijing that the upgrade is not a lurch towards the United States or in any way anti-Chinese, but a manifestation of Vietnam’s independent and omni-directional foreign policy. Third, at the bureaucratic level, it’s hoped that the upgrade gives political top cover for the line ministries to increase their cooperation with U.S. counterparts across a range of issues, from countering narcotics and human trafficking to security cooperation. The upgrade does not automatically lead to more market access, more trade and investment, more port visits and other military engagements, but it won’t hurt their prospects either. In short, this upgrade is long overdue, and reflects the fact that the U.S. has far deeper ties than many other states ranked above it. An economic imperative The upgrade comes as Vietnam’s economy is slowing dramatically. Despite 8.5% growth in 2022, GDP only grew by 3.72% in the first six months of 2023, half the target. The Asian Development Bank and IMF have lowered their annual forecasts to 5.8% and 4.7%, respectively. While Vietnam has benefitted from corporate supply chain diversification out of China, that trend has also made the economy over-dependent on exports, which have fallen for five consecutive months, the longest slump in 14 years. In July, exports fell 3.5%. Industrial production contracted 1.8% in the first half of 2023, causing a 13% year-on-year increase in industrial layoffs. While Vietnam enjoys a large trade surplus with the U.S. – $44.3 billion in the first seven months of 2023 – that is down 24% year-on-year. Vietnam runs enormous trade deficits with China, as its manufactured goods are highly dependent on imported Chinese components. Without its exports to the U.S., Vietnam would run chronic trade deficits. As a direct foreign investor, the U.S. lags behind South Korea, Singapore, China, and Japan. In early 2023, Boeing announced a production facility, while Apple shifted an iPad production line out of China to Vietnam. But there’s plenty of room for growth. We should also not lose sight of portfolio investment from the U.S., where one fund alone has invested $1.5 billion in six projects. An employee works at Heesung Electronics Vietnam factory in Hai Phong, Vietnam, Aug. 29, 2023. Vietnam’s economy is slowing, with GDP growth of only 3.72% in the first six months of 2023. Credit: Nhac Nguyen/AFP Corporate Vietnam is trying to make a splash in the U.S.. Electric vehicle maker VinFast broke ground on a $4 billion plant in North Carolina, and has seen wild stock valuations after its recent listing on NASDAQ. VinFast sees the United States as the key to its growth, if not viability, despite a rocky first nine months that saw few sales and a recall. The tech firm VNG, Vietnam’s first “unicorn,” has filed paperwork for its listing on NASDAQ. If Vietnam is to escape the middle-income trap, it’s through trade and investment ties with the U.S., not China. To that end, executives from a swath of U.S. semiconductor and other tech industry will be joining Biden’s trip. What remains missing in U.S. policy towards the Asia-Pacific is an economic architecture. Since the withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership in January 2017, the United States has abdicated its leadership. States are going along with the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) , but only to keep Washington…

African Union joins G20 as compromise statement agreed

Editor2 years ago05 mins

Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited the African Union to join the G20 as a permanent member on Saturday in his opening remarks, calling on members to end a “global trust deficit.” “It is time for all of us to move together,” Modi said. Modi announced later in the day during the summit that negotiators had resolved deep differences over the wording on the war in Ukraine. “On the back of the hard work of all the teams, we have received consensus on the G20 Leaders Summit Declaration. I announce the adoption of this declaration,” Modi told the G20 leaders in New Delhi. China and Russia are known to be opposed to any joint statement that censures Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Despite widespread anticipation that this year’s summit would be a damp squib – perhaps resulting in no communique at all – the G20 appeared to be pushing back on China’s apparent lack of willingness to play ball with the developed world. The announcement of permanent inclusion of the 55-nation African Union (AU) is likely to be a blow for Chinese president Xi Jinping, who is not attending the summit for unknown reasons, and recently heralded the new membership of six countries in the BRICS grouping as “historic.” The AU’s young population of 1.3 billion is expected to double by 2050, when it will account for a quarter of the global population. It’s strategically important to both China, Africa’s largest trading partner and one of its largest lenders, and Russia, its leading arms provider. U.S. President Joe Biden listens to the opening remarks of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the first session of the G20 Summit, in New Delhi, India, Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023. Credit: Evan Vucci/Pool via Reuters Meanwhile, in what will likely be seen as a challenge to Xi’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), U.S. President Joe Biden, Modi and allies were reported to have plans to announce a rail and shipping corridor connecting India with the Middle East and ultimately Europe. The project would include the United States, India, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the European Union and other countries in the G20, the Associated Press reported Jon Finer, Biden’s principal deputy national security adviser, as saying. Biden, Modi and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen were to announce the project as part of the Partnership for Global Infrastructure Investment, with commentary speculating that it would enable greater trade and be an ambitious counter to China’s massive BRI, through which it has sought to invest and lend its way to making its economy better connected with the world. The moves on Saturday, which were roundly seen as pushback against China, came against a background of speculation as to why China’s Xi was not present and calls for Beijing to explain itself. “It’s incumbent upon the Chinese government to explain” why its leader “would or would not participate,” Jon Finer, the U.S. deputy national security adviser, told reporters in Delhi. He said there was speculation that China is “giving up on G20” in favor of groupings like BRICS, where it is dominant. Edited by Elaine Chan and Mike Firn.

And then there were three

Editor2 years ago01 mins

Taiwan’s richest man, Terry Gou, has joined the island’s presidential race, setting up a January 2024 contest pitting three opposition hopefuls against the ruling party candidate. Gou, the founder of electronics giant Foxconn, jumped into a race in which the China-friendly opposition “blue camp” vote was already fractured between Hou Yu-ih of the Kuomintang and Ko Wen-je of the Taiwan People’s Party. Analysts say Gou’s move will only serve to further bolster the fortunes of Lai Ching-te of the incumbent Democratic Progressive Party, which rejects Beijing’s claims over and threats to self-governing Taiwan.

Myanmar’s United Wa State Army deports alleged Chinese scammers

Editor2 years ago05 mins

Myanmar’s rebel United Wa State Army has captured more than 1,000 people it said were working for online fraud gangs and handed them over to Chinese police at Shan state’s border with China, a Wa Liaison Office representative told Radio Free Asia on Friday. The officer, Nyi Rang, said – with the assistance of the Chinese police – the ethnic army carried out two days of raids on Wednesday and Thursday and deported those arrested immediately. He said they were all Chinese nationals. The United Wa State Army controls Shan state’s Special Administrative Region, known as Wa state. It has an estimated 30,000 soldiers and maintains close ties with China. RFA Burmese called junta Deputy Information Officer Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun to confirm the reports but nobody answered. RFA also sent an email to the Chinese Embassy in Yangon but had not received a reply as of Friday evening local time. China’s Ministry of Public Security said Myanmar transferred 1,207 suspects including 41 fugitives to China, the official Xinhua news agency reported. Scammers are known to operate in the Special Administrative Region, luring Burmese and foreign nationals with offers of fake jobs, then forcing them to use Facebook and Telegram accounts to defraud people with fake cryptocurrency deals and other scams, as well as laundering money. A resident of Mong Pauk town, 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the border with China, said he witnessed the arrested being taken away. “I saw that the arrested were taken in six military trucks yesterday. And more than 100 were caught today,” said the local who didn’t want to be named for fear of reprisals. “They all are fraudsters. The arrested Chinese citizens are being sent [to China] at the border gates in Panghsang [Pangkam].” Some people posted photos and videos on Facebook and TikTok showing hundreds of police leading away groups of men and some women and taking them to the border. RFA has not verified the images. One Mong Pauk resident who works in labor affairs urged people to try to get their children back from the scam centers. “Right now, families need to contact their children who have been sold to money laundering gangs as soon as possible,” the person said. “I also want to encourage parents to call their children if they know where they have been sold.” Residents said fraud gangs are operating in United Wa State Army controlled areas of the region, including Pangkam and Mong Pauk towns, along with Laukkaing and Chinshwehaw in northern Shan state, as well as Shwe Kokko in Kayin state. On Aug. 26, the Chinese Embassy in Yangon said Myanmar police had handed over 24 Chinese nationals, including the leader of an online fraud gang. Hundreds of thousands of people in Southeast Asian countries, including Myanmar are being threatened and tortured by criminal gangs and forced into online scams, according to a U.N. report released on August 29. It said that over 120,000 people in Myanmar and 100,000 people in Cambodia are being forced to commit financial fraud online. These gangs are active in the border areas of countries with political and military conflicts, the U.N. said. Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Mike Firn and Elaine Chan.

Junta troops kill 7 defense force members in Sagaing region raid

Editor2 years ago04 mins

Seven members of a local defense force were killed during a raid by junta troops on a Sagaing region base, a People’s Defense Force information officer told Radio Free Asia. The victims were members of another local defense force based near Mon Yway Kyay Mon village in Chaung-U township, where Wednesday’s raid took place, the officer said. “The junta troops ambushed a small information station based in Mon Yway Kyay Mon on the border between Monywa and Chaing-U,” he said. “It was not an exchange of fire between the two sides.” Two people escaped from the raid on the base, which had been used by the Chaung-U PDF to issue press releases and make phone calls, the officer said. Junta troops confiscated weapons from the dead fighters, he said. RFA’s call to the junta spokesperson for the Sagaing region, Tin Than Win, regarding the attack went unanswered. 7,000 residents flee Also in Sagaing, more than 7,000 people from nine villages fled their homes on Wednesday when a 100-member junta column marched through the southern part of Sagaing’s Salingyi township, residents told Radio Free Asia. There was no fighting reported, and as of midday on Wednesday, no houses had been burned and no villagers had been arrested or killed. It was the latest case of displacement from the civil war wracking Myanmar. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, nearly 800,000 people have fled their homes in Sagaing region since the Feb. 1, 2021, military coup. A local resident, who did not want to be named for security reasons, told RFA that all nine villages were in the vicinity of the junta troops. “Those villages are close to the column. Such villages located near the column have to monitor the movement of the column and take shelter in other villages,” the resident said. He added that the troops were stationed in one of the nine villages – Son Tar village – until Wednesday afternoon. RFA made another attempt to reach Tin Than Win about the fleeing of the local residents, but that call also went unanswered. The junta has responded in the past that there is no reason for civilians to worry when columns of junta troops move through their villages. Translated by Htin Aung Kyaw. Edited by Matt Reed.

Woman dies from beating in Myanmar’s Sagaing region

Editor2 years ago02 mins

A woman died after being arrested, interrogated and beaten by junta troops in Sagaing region’s Kale township, sources close to the family said on Thursday. Do Deih Huai, 31, from Pyi Taw Thar village was picked up by troops as she traveled with a friend to Kale town on August 27. Troops confiscated her motorcycle, phone and purse, and took her in for questioning. After the woman was released she had various injuries, according to a source close to her family who wished to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals. “After being beaten and returning to her home, with blood coming out from her ears and suffering from headaches, she said she was dizzy and fainted while she was having breakfast on August 28,” the source said. “She was sent to the hospital when she lost consciousness, but the doctor said she should get medical treatment in Mandalay. She was sent to Mandalay a week after she fell unconscious. She died on the way.” The woman’s body was cremated in a Christian ceremony on Wednesday. Residents of Kale township said troops often confiscate phones and driving licenses, as well as demanding money from pedestrians and people on motorcycles. RFA’s calls to the junta spokesperson for Sagaing region, Tin Than Win, seeking comment on the incident went unanswered. Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Mike Firn and Elaine Chan.

Suu Kyi requests for ‘urgent’ dental treatment go unheeded

Editor2 years ago07 mins

Myanmar’s former State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi is suffering from “urgent” dental issues in detention but junta authorities have ignored her request for permission to seek treatment, sources have told Radio Free Asia. The 78-year-old Suu Kyi, who was sentenced to 27 years in prison, requested approval to visit a dentist outside of detention to treat gingivitis – a form of gum disease – and severe toothaches, but had yet to receive permission as of Tuesday, a source with ties to the place where she is being held in the capital Naypyidaw told RFA Burmese. Prison authorities have reported the matter to the junta’s Ministry of Interior, but have received no response, said the source, speaking on condition of anonymity citing fear of reprisal. The source said that Suu Kyi was examined by a prison doctor, but requires a dental specialist to deal with her condition. He said that the head of the deposed National League for Democracy, or NLD, party remains in prison, despite reports in August that she had been transferred to house arrest. Bo Bo Oo, a former representative of the NLD in Yangon region, said that Suu Kyi must be allowed to receive treatment. “When it comes to some health issues related to ears, eyes, bones and dental diseases, only the relevant specialist clinics can provide sufficient medical treatment,” he said. “She needs to get proper treatment at a dental hospital.” He said that Suu Kyi and other political prisoners were “illegally detained” by the military following its February 2021 coup d’etat and expressed concern for their health, citing poor conditions in the nation’s prisons. Vomiting and ‘unable to eat’ Suu Kyi’s son, Kim Aris, told the BBC that his mother is being “denied” treatment as the junta had “blocked prison authorities’ request” for “urgent care.” The 46-year-old, who is based in the U.K., said his mother has been vomiting and endures “severe dizziness” due to her ill health. He said the pain had left her “unable to eat.” Kim Aris, Aung San Suu Kyi’s son, told the BBC that he was concerned that his mother’s request for medical care had been denied. Credit: Dylan Martinez/Reuters file photo The BBC also cited “long-time acquaintances” of the Nobel laureate as saying that she suffers from chronic gum disease and low blood pressure, as well as a source familiar with the matter who claimed that she has been served soft food and a medicated jelly intended to relieve her toothaches. Attempts by RFA to reach the Naypyidaw Prison Department for comment on whether she would be allowed access to medical care outside of where she is being held went unanswered Wednesday. Special approval needed According to law, any inmate serving a sentence of more than five years must obtain permission from the Ministry of Interior to be taken outside of prison – a process that can take up to one month. However, legal experts said that in cases where urgent health care is required, there is a procedure that allows for a verbal order granting such a request. “As Aung San Suu Kyi is a state-level prisoner and since she is elderly, she should be allowed to seek the medical treatment she urgently needs as a special case,” said a Yangon-based lawyer who declined to be named for security reasons, citing the allowance of permission granted by verbal order. Political commentator Than Soe Naing said he believes that the junta is denying Suu Kyi the right to seek treatment to “deliberately harm her” and called for international pressure seeking her release. “They think that it is best if Aung San Suu Kyi is no longer in Myanmar politics,” he said. “As long as she is in the hands of the junta, Aung San Suu Kyi’s fate is uncertain. That’s why the world should pressure the junta to release her or provide better conditions for her.” The junta sentenced Suu Kyi 33 years in prison on 19 charges, but on Aug. 1 pardoned her for five of the cases, reducing her term to 27 years. Translated by Myo Min Aung. Edited by Joshua Lipes and Malcolm Foster.

Year: 2023