Latest news with #MyanmarCoup
South China Morning Post
a day ago
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Myanmar crisis demands Asean rethink on regional diplomacy
Ahead of the 58th Asean Foreign Ministers' Meeting on July 8-9 in Kuala Lumpur, officials must move beyond rhetorical consensus and seize the moment to embrace transformative, people-centred approaches that reflect the realities on the ground and restore the bloc's credibility and relevance Advertisement More than four years have passed since Myanmar's military staged a violent coup , plunging the country into a deepening political and humanitarian crisis. The regime's grip has inflicted devastating harm: more than 20,000 political prisoners remain behind bars, millions of people have been displaced and countless communities endure daily threats of air strikes forced conscription and systemic oppression. What began as a national emergency has become a defining test of regional credibility and moral resolve. In 2021, Asean adopted a five-point consensus as its core diplomatic framework. Even so, the junta has continuously flouted it by intensifying violence, obstructing humanitarian access and disregarding dialogue efforts with impunity. Devoid of enforcement and political will, the consensus has become a hollow instrument, invoked for appearances while atrocities continue unabated. The paralysis in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) is exacerbated by growing internal divisions. While Malaysia and Indonesia have taken principled steps to engage with Myanmar's democratic opposition and ethnic groups, other member states have undermined regional coherence. Thailand maintains a posture of strategic ambiguity, the Philippines has called for a new diplomatic framework and Cambodia has entertained the junta's plans for staged elections. This fragmentation has weakened Asean's leverage and made a mockery of the notion of centrality Compounding the challenge is Asean's institutional structure, particularly its annually rotating chairmanship, which undermines continuity and strategic depth. Each incoming chair often brings a different tone, set of priorities and diplomatic style, disrupting momentum and making it difficult to sustain long-term engagement. This revolving leadership hampers consistency and reflects the bloc's limited political will and uneven commitment to addressing the crisis in Myanmar. Advertisement
Arab News
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Myanmar woman arrested for Suu Kyi ‘happy birthday' post: local media
YANGON: A Myanmar woman arrested by the junta for 'spreading propaganda' is being detained over a Facebook post celebrating the 80th birthday of jailed democratic leader Aung San Suu Kyi, local media said. Suu Kyi was the figurehead of Myanmar's decade-long democratic thaw, becoming de facto leader as it opened up from military rule, but she has been incarcerated since February 2021 when the generals snatched back power in a coup. She is serving a 27-year sentence on charges rights groups dismiss as fabricated and on Thursday marked her birthday behind bars while her son urged followers to publish messages declaring their support. Myanmar's junta said in a statement over the weekend it had arrested two Facebook users for 'inciting and spreading propaganda on social media with the intention to destroy state stability.' One of those detained — Hinn Yin Phyu — was arrested at accommodation for employees of state media station MRTV in the capital Naypyidaw on Saturday, the statement said, without providing details of her posts. The Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) reported on Monday that Hinn Yin Phyu was an MRTV employee who had been arrested after posting a 'happy birthday' message for Suu Kyi, citing sources close to the detained woman. 'May you live long and be free from illness, may you be free from the suffering caused by separation from your loved ones throughout your life, and may you only meet good people,' said the now-deleted post, according to DVB. Despite being blocked in a digital crackdown accompanying the coup, Facebook remains Myanmar's most popular social media platform. State notices announcing arrests over social media use are commonplace but usually provide scant detail of alleged transgressions. A spokesman for Myanmar's junta could not be reached for comment on the arrest. Suu Kyi won the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize as she refused to enter exile to escape her first period of incarceration by Myanmar's military. As she guided the country through its democratic interlude her reputation was tarnished on the international stage after she defended the military for their crackdown on the Rohingya Muslim minority. When the generals toppled her government it sparked a protest movement that security forces swiftly crushed in the streets. Since then the country has descended into civil war as pro-democracy activists formed guerrilla units to fight back, alongside ethnic armed organizations that have been battling the military in Myanmar's fringes for decades.
News.com.au
20-06-2025
- Politics
- News.com.au
Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi marks 80th birthday in junta jail
Myanmar's deposed democratic leader Aung San Suu Kyi marked her 80th birthday in junta detention on Thursday, serving a raft of sentences set to last the rest of her life. Suu Kyi was the figurehead of Myanmar's decade-long democratic thaw, becoming de facto leader as it opened up from military rule. But as the generals snatched back power in a 2021 coup, she was locked up on charges ranging from corruption to breaching Covid-19 pandemic restrictions and is serving a 27-year sentence. "It will be hard to be celebrating at the moment," said her 47-year-old son Kim Aris from the UK. "We've learned to endure when it's been going on so long." He has run 80 kilometres (50 miles) over the eight days leading up to her birthday, and collected over 80,000 well-wishing video messages for his mother. But Suu Kyi will not see them, sequestered in Myanmar's sprawling capital Naypyidaw from where the military directs a civil war against guerilla fighters, many of whom took up arms in response to the toppling of her government. Aris said he has heard from his mother only once via letter two years ago since she was imprisoned. "We have no idea what condition she's in," he said, adding that he fears she is suffering from untreated medical problems with her heart, bones and gums. Myanmar junta spokesman Zaw Min Tun told AFP late on Thursday Suu Kyi "is in good health", without providing any further details. - 'Do you still remember?' - No formal celebrations took place in junta-held parts of Myanmar, but a gaggle of followers in military-controlled Mandalay city staged a spontaneous protest ahead of her birthday, local media said. A few masked protestors showered a street with pamphlets reading "freedom from fear" and "happy birthday" as one member held up a portrait of Suu Kyi in shaky camera footage shared on social media. "Do you still remember this great person?" asked one of the protestors in the video, which AFP has not been able to independently verify. Other small protests were also reported, including in a rebel-contested area of northern Sagaing region where women marched holding roses in tribute to the former leader, who famously wore garlands of flowers in her hair. While Suu Kyi remains hugely popular in the majority Buddhist country, her status as a democracy icon abroad collapsed before the military takeover after she defended the generals in their crackdown against the Rohingya. Hundreds of thousands of the Muslim minority were sent fleeing to neighbouring Bangladesh under her rule, though some argued she was powerless against the lingering influence of Myanmar's military. Nonetheless institutions and figures that once showered Suu Kyi with awards rapidly distanced themselves, and her second round of imprisonment has received far less international attention. - Locked away birthday - Suu Kyi, the daughter of Myanmar independence hero Aung San, became a champion of democracy almost by accident. After spending much of her youth abroad, she returned in 1988 to nurse her sick mother but began leading anti-military protests crushed by a crackdown. She was locked up for 15 years, most of it in her family's Yangon lakeside mansion where she still drew crowds for speeches over the boundary wall. The military offered freedom if she went into exile but her poised refusal thrust her into the spotlight and won her the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize. Suu Kyi was released in 2010 and led her National League for Democracy (NLD) party to electoral victory in 2015, never formally in charge as army-drafted rules kept her from the presidency. The NLD said in a statement on Thursday she "must be recognised as an essential figure in any credible and inclusive solution to Myanmar's ongoing crisis". But if the octogenarian were released from her current incarceration, Aris predicts she would likely step back from a "frontline position" in Myanmar politics. The military has promised new elections at the end of this year, but they are set to be boycotted by many groups comprised of former followers of Suu Kyi's non-violent vision who have now taken up arms.
Khaleej Times
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Khaleej Times
Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi marks 80th birthday in junta jail
Myanmar's deposed democratic leader Aung San Suu Kyi marked her 80th birthday in junta detention on Thursday, serving a raft of sentences set to last the rest of her life. Suu Kyi was the figurehead of Myanmar's decade-long democratic thaw, becoming de facto leader as it opened up from military rule. But as the generals snatched back power in a 2021 coup, she was locked up on charges ranging from corruption to breaching Covid-19 pandemic restrictions and is serving a 27-year sentence. "It will be hard to be celebrating at the moment," said her 47-year-old son Kim Aris from the UK. "We've learned to endure when it's been going on so long." He is running 80 kilometres (50 miles) over the eight days leading up to her birthday, and has collected over 80,000 well-wishing video messages for his mother. But Suu Kyi will not see them, sequestered in Myanmar's sprawling capital Naypyidaw from where the military directs a civil war against guerilla fighters. Aris said he has heard from his mother only once via letter two years ago since she was imprisoned. "We have no idea what condition she's in," he said, adding that he fears she is suffering from untreated medical problems with her heart, bones and gums. 'Do you still remember?' No formal celebrations are planned in junta-held parts of Myanmar, but a gaggle of followers in military-controlled Mandalay city staged a spontaneous protest ahead of her birthday, local media said. A few masked protestors showered a street with pamphlets reading "freedom from fear" and "happy birthday" as one member help up a portrait of Suu Kyi in shaky camera footage shared on social media. "Do you still remember this great person?" asked one of the protestors in the video, which AFP has not been able to independently verify. While Suu Kyi remains hugely popular in the majority Buddhist country, her status as a democracy icon abroad collapsed before the military takeover after she defended the generals in their crackdown against the Rohingya Muslim minority. Hundreds of thousands were sent fleeing to neighbouring Bangladesh under her rule, though some argued she was powerless against the lingering influence of Myanmar's military. Nonetheless institutions and figures that once showered Suu Kyi with awards rapidly distanced themselves, and her second round of imprisonment has received far less international attention. Locked away birthday Suu Kyi, the daughter of Myanmar independence hero Aung San, became a champion of democracy almost by accident. After spending much of her youth abroad, she returned in 1988 to nurse her sick mother but began leading anti-military protests crushed by a crackdown. She was locked up for 15 years, most of it in her family's Yangon lakeside mansion where she still drew crowds for speeches over the boundary wall. The military offered freedom if she went into exile but her poised refusal thrust her into the spotlight and won her the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize. Suu Kyi was released in 2010 and led her National League for Democracy party to electoral victory in 2015, never formally in charge as army-drafted rules kept her from the presidency. If the octogenarian were released from her current incarceration, Aris predicts she would likely step back from a "frontline position" in Myanmar politics. The military has promised new elections at the end of this year, but they are set to be boycotted by many groups comprised of former followers of Suu Kyi's non-violent vision who have now taken up arms.
Japan Times
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Japan Times
Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi marks 80th birthday in junta jail
Myanmar's deposed democratic leader Aung San Suu Kyi marked her 80th birthday in junta detention on Thursday, serving a raft of sentences set to last the rest of her life. Suu Kyi was the figurehead of Myanmar's decade-long democratic thaw, becoming de facto leader as it opened up from military rule. But as the generals snatched back power in a 2021 coup, she was locked up on charges ranging from corruption to breaching COVID-19 pandemic restrictions and is serving a 27-year sentence. "It will be hard to be celebrating at the moment," said her 47-year-old son Kim Aris from the U.K. "We've learned to endure when it's been going on so long." He is running 80 kilometers over the eight days leading up to her birthday and has collected over 80,000 well-wishing video messages for his mother. But Suu Kyi will not see them, sequestered in Myanmar's sprawling capital Naypyidaw from where the military directs a civil war against guerilla fighters. Aris said he has heard from his mother only once via letter two years ago since she was imprisoned. "We have no idea what condition she's in," he said, adding that he fears she is suffering from untreated medical problems with her heart, bones and gums. 'Do you still remember?' No formal celebrations are planned in junta-held parts of Myanmar, but a gaggle of followers in military-controlled Mandalay city staged a spontaneous protest ahead of her birthday, local media said. Suu Kyi and Myanmar military chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing | AFP-jiji A few masked protestors showered a street with pamphlets reading "freedom from fear" and "happy birthday" as one member held up a portrait of Suu Kyi in shaky camera footage shared on social media. "Do you still remember this great person?" asked one of the protestors in the video, which AFP has not been able to independently verify. While Suu Kyi remains hugely popular in the majority Buddhist country, her status as a democracy icon abroad collapsed before the military takeover after she defended the generals in their crackdown against the Rohingya Muslim minority. Hundreds of thousands were sent fleeing to neighboring Bangladesh under her rule, though some argued she was powerless against the lingering influence of Myanmar's military. Nonetheless, institutions and figures that once showered Suu Kyi with awards rapidly distanced themselves, and her second round of imprisonment has received far less international attention. Locked away birthday Suu Kyi, the daughter of Myanmar independence hero Aung San, became a champion of democracy almost by accident. After spending much of her youth abroad, she returned in 1988 to nurse her sick mother but began leading anti-military protests crushed by a crackdown. She was locked up for 15 years, most of it in her family's Yangon lakeside mansion where she still drew crowds for speeches over the boundary wall. Suu Kyi pays homage to Buddhist monks at the Kan Tat Kone monastery during a visit to Mandalay on Feb. 14, 2015. | afp-jiji The military offered freedom if she went into exile, but her poised refusal thrust her into the spotlight and won her the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize. Suu Kyi was released in 2010 and led her National League for Democracy party to electoral victory in 2015, never formally in charge as army-drafted rules kept her from the presidency. If the octogenarian were released from her current incarceration, Aris predicts she would likely step back from a "frontline position" in Myanmar politics. The military has promised new elections at the end of this year, but they are set to be boycotted by many groups comprised of former followers of Suu Kyi's nonviolent vision who have now taken up arms.
