International

* At least 14 killed on Monday, advocacy group says * Security forces use heavier-calibre weapon - witnesses * More insurgent groups call on military to stop killings * Thailand denies pushing refugees back Rubbish piled up on the streets of Myanmar's main city on Tuesday after activists launched a "garbage strike" to oppose military rule as the toll of pro-democracy protesters killed by the security forces since a Feb. 1 coup rose to more than 500. Out of 14 civilians killed on Monday, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) said at least eight were in the South Dagon district of the biggest city, Yangon. Security forces in the area fired a heavier calibre weapon than usual on Monday towards protesters crouching behind a barricade of sand bags, witnesses said. It was not immediately clear what weapon it was but it was believed to be some type of grenade launcher. State television said security forces used "riot weapons" to disperse a crowd of "violent terrorist people" who were destroying a pavement and one man was wounded. A South Dagon resident said on Tuesday security forces had been cracking down in the area overnight, raising concern of more casualties. "There was shooting all night," said the resident who declined to be identified. Residents found a badly burned body on a street in the morning, the resident said, adding it was not known what had happened to the person and the military took the body away. Police and a junta spokesman did not answer calls seeking comment. Thousands of protesters came out in several other towns across the country, according to media and photos on social media. There were no immediate reports of violence. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged Myanmar's generals to stop the killings and repression of demonstrations. A civil disobedience campaign of strikes against military rule has paralysed large parts of the economy and in a new tactic, protesters sought to step up the campaign by asking residents to leave garbage at main road intersections. "This garbage strike is a strike to oppose the junta," read a poster on social media. "Everyone can join." Pictures posted on social media showed piles of rubbish building up in Yangon. The campaign comes in defiance of calls issued via loudspeakers in some neighbourhoods of Yangon on Monday urging residents to dispose of garbage properly. At least 510 civilians had been killed in nearly two months of opposition to the ouster of an elected government led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, and the return of military rule after a decade of tentative steps towards democracy, according to a tally by the AAPP advocacy group. The total killed on Saturday, the bloodiest day of the protests, had risen to 141, its figures showed. One of the main groups behind the protests, the General Strike Committee of Nationalities, called on Monday in an open letter for ethnic minority forces to help those standing up to the "unfair oppression" of the military. In a sign that the call may be gaining more traction, three groups - the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, the Arakan Army (AA) and Ta'ang National Liberation Army - called in a joint statement on Tuesday for the military to stop killing protesters and resolve political issues. If not, they said they would cooperate with all ethnic groups "who are joining Myanmar's spring revolution" to defend themselves. "This kind of brutal killing of innocent civilians is unacceptable," AA spokesman Khine Thu Kha told Reuters in an audio message. Insurgents from different ethnic groups have battled the central government for decades for greater autonomy. Though many groups have agreed to ceasefires, fighting has flared in recent days between the army and forces in both the east and north. Heavy clashes erupted on the weekend near the Thai border between the army and fighters from Myanmar's oldest ethnic minority force, the Karen National Union (KNU), which has also denounced the coup. About 3,000 villagers fled to Thailand when military jets bombed a KNU area. Thailand has denied accounts by activist groups that refugees were being forced back. Its foreign ministry said there was no policy of turning away refugees fleeing conflict and they would be accepted on humanitarian grounds. More than a dozen people were allowed to cross into Thailand on Tuesday for medical treatment at a border village, Reuters witnesses said. Myanmar's military has for decades justified its grip on power by saying it is the only institution capable of preserving national unity. It seized power saying that November elections won by Suu Kyi's party were fraudulent, an assertion dismissed by the election commission. But foreign criticism and Western sanctions have failed to sway the generals and Suu Kyi remains in detention at an undisclosed location and many other figures in her party are also in custody.

A massive blaze broke out Monday at one of Indonesia's biggest oil refineries after a huge explosion turned the sprawling complex into a raging inferno. Firefighters battled to contain the fire at the Balongan refinery in West Java, operated by state oil company Pertamina, as towering plumes of black smoke rose into the sky. At least five people were seriously injured and about 1,000 local residents were evacuated from the scene after the fire broke out early Monday morning. The local disaster agency said one person had died from a heart attack after the explosion. About 15 people were slightly injured and authorities said they were checking on the whereabouts of three others. "To prevent the fire from spreading we've shut down operations ... and are putting our efforts into handling the blaze," Pertamina's president director Nicke Widyawati said in a statement. The cause of the fire was not clear, but the company said the blaze broke out during a lightning storm. Pertamina said it did not expect the fire to cause fuel supply disruptions due to the high volume of stock it has on hand. The sprawling refinery is about 200 kilometres east of the capital Jakarta.

* Troops fire at mourners at funeral * At least 114 reported killed by security forces on Saturday * Total number of civilians reported killed passes 440 * Thousands flee after military air strikes near Thai border Myanmar security forces opened fire at a funeral on Sunday, witnesses said, as people across the country gathered to mourn 114 people killed the previous day in the worst crackdown on protests since the military coup on Feb. 1. Mourners fled the shooting in Bago at a service for 20-year-old student Thae Maung Maung near the commercial capital Yangon and there were no immediate reports of casualties, three people in the town told Reuters. "While we are singing the revolution song for him, security forces just arrived and shot at us," a woman called Aye who was at the service said. "People, including us, run away as they opened fire." Three people were killed in other shooting incidents on Sunday and thousands of villagers in a border area fled to Thailand after army air strikes on one of several ethnic militias that have stepped up attacks since the coup, witnesses and local media said. One person was killed when troops opened fire overnight on a group of protesters near the capital Naypyitaw, Myanmar Now news reported and there were several protests on Sunday in the Sagaing region near the country's second city, Mandalay. There were no reports of large-scale protests within Mandalay, which bore the brunt of the casualties on Saturday, Myanmar's Armed Forces Day, or in Yangon. At least six children between the ages of 10 and 16 were among those killed on Saturday, according to news reports and witnesses. Protesters call the victims "Fallen Stars". The bloodshed drew renewed Western condemnation. The U.N. Special Rapporteur for Myanmar said the army was carrying out "mass murder" and called on the world to isolate the junta and halt its access to weapons. Foreign criticism and sanctions imposed by some Western nations have failed so far to sway the military leaders, as have almost daily protests around the country since the junta took power and detained elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi. "We salute our heroes who sacrificed lives during this revolution and We Must Win This REVOLUTION," one of the main protest groups, the General Strike Committee of Nationalities (GSCN), posted on Facebook. Heavy fighting also erupted between the army and some of the two dozen ethnic armed groups that control swathes of the country. About 3,000 people fled to neighbouring Thailand after military jets bombed areas controlled by the Karen National Union (KNU) militia near the border in a bombing raid near Thailand, an activist group and local media said. In an air attack by the military on Saturday, at least three civilians were killed in a village controlled by the KNU, a civil society group said. The militia earlier said it had overrun an army post near the border, killing 10 people. Fighting also erupted on Sunday between another armed group, the Kachin Independence Army, and the military in the jade-mining area of Hpakant in the north. The Kachin forces attacked a police station and the military responded with an aerial assault, Kachinwaves media reported. There were no reports of casualties. A junta spokesman did not answer calls seeking comment on the killings or the fighting. Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, the junta leader, said during a parade to mark Armed Forces Day that the military would protect the people and strive for democracy. Saturday's casualties took the overall number of civilians reported killed since the coup to more than 440. Countries including the United States, Britain, Germany and the European Union strongly condemned the violence. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Twitter: "We will not tolerate the military's brutal course of action against the people of Myanmar". U.N. Special Rapporteur Tom Andrews said the junta should be cut off from funding, such as oil and gas revenues, and from access to weapons. "Words of condemnation or concern are frankly ringing hollow to the people of Myanmar while the military junta commits mass murder against them," he said in a statement. U.N. Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide Alice Wairimu Nderitu and U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet called the killings "shameful, cowardly, brutal actions of the military and police, who have been filmed shooting at protesters as they flee, and who have not even spared young children". The top military officer from the United States and nearly a dozen of his counterparts said in a statement that a professional military must follow international standards for conduct "and is responsible for protecting - not harming - the people it serves". The Myanmar military took power saying that November elections won by Suu Kyi's party were fraudulent, an assertion dismissed by the country's election commission. Suu Kyi remains in detention at an undisclosed location and many other figures in her party are also in custody.

* Seven protesters killed in Yangon, nine elsewhere * Junta leader takes the salute at annual parade * Promises to hold elections but gives no date * State TV warns protesters could be shot in the head or back Myanmar's security forces shot and killed at least 16 protesters on Saturday, news reports and witnesses said, as the leader of the ruling junta said the military will protect the people and strive for democracy. Protesters against the Feb. 1 military coup came out on the streets of Yangon, Mandalay and other towns, defying a warning that they could be shot ‘in the head and back’ as the country's generals celebrated Armed Forces Day. ‘Today is a day of shame for the armed forces,’ Dr. Sasa, a spokesman for CRPH, an anti-junta group set up by deposed lawmakers, told an online forum. ‘The military generals are celebrating Armed Forces Day after they just killed more than 300 innocent civilians,’ he said, giving an estimate of the toll since protests first erupted weeks ago. At least four people were killed when security forces opened fire at a crowd protesting outside a police station in Yangon's Dala suburb in the early hours of Saturday, Myanmar Now reported. At least 10 people were wounded, the news portal said. Three people, including a young man who plays in a local under-21 football team, were shot and killed in a protest in the Insein district of the city, a neighbour told Reuters. Four people were killed in Lashio town in the east, and four in separate incidents in the Bago region, near Yangon, according to media outlets. One person was killed in Hopin town in the northeast. After presiding over a military parade in the capital Naypyitaw to mark Armed Forces Day, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing reiterated a promise to hold elections, without giving any time-frame. ‘The army seeks to join hands with the entire nation to safeguard democracy,’ the general said in a live broadcast on state television, adding that authorities also sought to protect the people and restore peace across the country. ‘Violent acts that affect stability and security in order to make demands are inappropriate.’ The latest deaths will add to a toll of 328 people killed in the crackdown that has followed the coup against Aung San Suu Kyi's elected government, according to a tally kept by an activist group. In an ominous warning on Friday evening, state television said: ‘You should learn from the tragedy of earlier ugly deaths that you can be in danger of getting shot to the head and back’. The warning did not specifically say that security forces had been given shoot-to-kill orders. The junta has previously tried to suggest that some fatal shootings have come from within the crowds. But it showed the military's determination to prevent any disruptions around Armed Forces Day, which commemorates the start of the resistance to Japanese occupation in 1945 that was orchestrated by Suu Kyi's father, the founder of the military. Aung San, considered the father of the nation, was assassinated in 1947. Min Aung Hlaing said the army had to seize power because of ‘unlawful acts’ by Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy, adding that some party leaders had been found guilty of corruption and legal action was being taken against them. RUSSIA A 'TRUE FRIEND' Suu Kyi, Myanmar's most popular civilian politician, remains in detention at an undisclosed location. Many other figures in her party are also being held in custody. In a week that saw international pressure on the junta ramped up with new US and European sanctions, Russia's deputy defence minister Alexander Fomin attended the parade in Naypyitaw, having meet senior junta leaders a day earlier. ‘Russia is a true friend,’ Min Aung Hlaing said. There were no signs of other diplomats at an event that is usually attended by scores of officials from foreign nations. Protesters have taken to the streets almost daily since the coup that derailed Myanmar's slow transition to democracy. Until Friday evening, activist group the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) counted at least 328 protesters who have been killed in the weeks of unrest. Its data shows that around a quarter of them died from shots to the head, raising suspicions they were targeted for killing. Reuters could not independently verify the numbers killed. A military spokesman did not respond to calls seeking comment. The United Nations' special envoy on Myanmar, Christine Schraner Burgener, said the military had turned against its own citizens. ‘Women, youth and children have been among those killed,’ she said in a statement. Defence ties between Russia and Myanmar have grown in recent years with Moscow providing training to thousands of soldiers as well as selling arms to the military. Support from Russia and China, which has also refrained from criticism, is important for the junta as they are permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and can block potential UN actions. Fomin's visit took place after the United States, Britain and the European Union imposed new sanctions on groups and individuals linked to the coup.  

 * UK, US blacklist junta-controlled conglomerates * Nine killed in renewed street protests-activists * World Bank forecasts economy to slump 10% this year * Myanmar due to hold Army Day on Saturday Myanmar security forces shot and killed three anti-junta protesters on Friday, witnesses said, as the World Bank warned the country's economy could slump 10% this year due to the turmoil since last month's coup. "Two were killed by head shots," said a witness who saw security forces open fire on protesters waving black flags in the southern town of Myeik. "We cannot pick up the (third) dead body as many security forces are there," the witness told Reuters, adding that several other people were wounded. The witness requested anonymity for fear of retribution. At least 320 people have been killed in the crackdown on dissent since the Feb. 1 coup, including nine deaths recorded overnight, according to figures compiled by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) activist group. Its data shows that at least 25 percent of those who were killed died from shots to the head, raising suspicions they were deliberately targeted for killing. Reuters could not independently verify the numbers killed. A military spokesman did not respond to calls seeking comment. In a bid to increase pressure on the junta, the United States and Britain imposed sanctions on conglomerates controlled by the military, with Washington calling it a response to the military's "brutal repression". Protests took place across the country overnight and on Friday, including in the Mandalay and Sagaing regions, as well as in Karen and Chin states, media reports said A group of about 100 people beating drums held a protest in the downtown Sule area of Yangon before being chased away by security forces, witnesses said. "This war has not ended until we win," one of the protesters, Phone Naing, told Reuters. "I will fight them as much as we can." Organisers have called for widespread protests on Saturday, observed as Armed Forces Day, commemorating the start of the military's resistance to Japanese occupation in 1945. "We have to revive that history on March 27, 2021 in this spring revolution," wrote Ei Thinzar Maung, a protest leader, in a social media post. "The day for the people to revolt against the Tatmadaw (military), which has been oppressing people for ages...has come again." Myanmar has been rocked by almost daily protests since the army overthrew Aung San Suu Kyi's elected government and installed the junta. Suu Kyi, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 for her campaign to bring democratic civilian rule to Myanmar, and other members of her National League for Democracy (NLD) are being held in detention. The World Bank on Friday slashed its forecast for Myanmar's economy to a 10% contraction in 2021 from the growth expected previously. Myanmar "has been heavily affected by protests, worker strikes, and military actions; reductions in mobility; and the ongoing disruption of critical public services in addition to banking, logistics, and internet services", it said. In Washington, the US Treasury Department announced new sanctions targeting Myanma Economic Holdings Public Company Limited and Myanmar Economic Corporation Limited. Both are part of a military-controlled network that spans sectors from mining to tourism and has enriched the generals. Representatives for the two entities had no immediate comment. In a move coordinated with the United States, former colonial power Britain said it would also target Myanma Economic Holdings Ltd, citing human rights violations against civilians and its association with senior military figures. A group of former NLD legislators welcomed the move. Dr Sasa, a medical doctor who goes by one name and has spoken publicly on behalf of the group, said in a Facebook post that all other governments should follow the UK and the United States "cooperating together and imposing targeted, stronger and tougher sanctions against the illegitimate military regime". The European Union announced sanctions on 11 individuals on Monday and is expected to target the conglomerates soon. But although many foreign governments have condemned the military's actions, Thomas Andrews, special U.N. rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, said the diplomatic response was slow and called for an emergency summit on the crisis. Unknown attackers hurled petrol bombs at the headquarters of the NLD in Yangon early on Friday, the Myanmar Now news portal reported. There were no casualties and some furniture was damaged, it said. Residents said that after dark on Thursday, soldiers raided Yangon's Mingalar Taungnyunt district and arrested people on the streets after curfew. Residents heard bangs that could be either stun grenades or gunfire, they said. One resident said soldiers had shot at his building every night this week and checked houses they deemed suspicious. "Even if they find nothing, they take everything they want," he told Reuters.

President Jair Bolsonaro announced yesterday he was launching a crisis committee to fight a Covid-19 surge ravaging Brazil, a change of course amid mounting pressure over a situation he has repeatedly minimised. Speaking a day after Brazil registered a new record daily toll in the pandemic – surpassing 3,000 deaths for the first time – the far-right president told reporters he was committed to saving lives.  The comments came after a meeting with a list of political power players, including the heads of both houses of Congress, the chief justice of the Supreme Court, the central bank chief, most of his cabinet and six governors. “The prevailing sentiment was solidarity and the commitment to minimise the effects of the pandemic,” Bolsonaro said at the presidential palace. “Life comes first.” He said the group had agreed to create a co-ordinating council with Brazil’s 27 governors, led by Senate speaker Rodrigo Pacheco. He himself will convene a crisis committee that will meet weekly, he said. The announcements appeared to do little to tame criticism of Bolsonaro, who has flouted expert advice on lockdowns and face masks, pushed a drug regimen he calls the “early treatment” package that scientists say does not work, and spoken out against vaccines. Newspaper Folha de Sao Paulo accused the president of lying when he said his government had worked ceaselessly to fight the virus. “For 12 months, Bolsonaro minimised the pandemic, promoted crowds, spoke out against mask use and halted talks to secure vaccines,” it said. Bolsonaro has softened his position on vaccines under pressure, saying Wednesday’s meeting had “unanimously agreed” on the need for mass vaccination. However, he was apparently unable to resist his habitual plug for “early treatment” with hydroxychloroquine and other drugs discarded as ineffective against Covid-19 in a raft of studies. “We also spoke about the possibility of the early treatment regimen,” he said. “That comes under the health ministry, which respects the right and duty of all doctors to treat their patients, including with off-label drug prescriptions.” Brazil is set to surpass 300,000 deaths from Covid-19 Wednesday, second only to the United States. The latest surge has pushed many hospitals to the breaking point, with intensive care beds and oxygen supplies at critically low levels.

* Buses full or prisoners seen driving out of Insein * Businesses close, traffic light in 'silent strike' * Seven-year-old girl killed in Mandalay on Tuesday * UNICEF says crisis having devastating impact on children * Suu Kyi court appearance via video conferencing postponed again Myanmar's junta freed hundreds of demonstrators arrested during its brutal crackdown on protests on Wednesday, while many businesses in Yangon remained shut and streets were deserted after anti-coup activists called for a silent strike. Several buses full of prisoners drove out of Yangon's Insein jail in the morning, said witnesses, who included lawyers for some inmates. There was no immediate word from authorities on how many prisoners were freed. A spokesman for the military did not answer calls. ‘All the released are the ones arrested due to the protests, as well as night arrests or those who were out to buy something,’ said a member of a legal advisory group who said he saw around 15 buses leaving. The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) activist group says at least 2,000 people have been arrested in the military crackdown on the protests against the Feb. 1 coup. Among those freed on Wednesday, was Thein Zaw, a journalist for The Associated Press who was arrested last month, AP reported, citing him saying the judge had dropped the charges because he was doing his job at the time of his arrest. Many businesses were closed in Yangon, and few vehicles were seen on the road in the country's biggest city, witnesses said, after a call by pro-democracy activists for a silent strike. ‘No going out, no shops, no working. All shut down. Just for one day,’ Nobel Aung, an illustrator and activist, told Reuters. ‘The usual meat and vegetables vendors on the street didn't show up,’ said a resident of the city's Mayangone district. ‘No car noises, only birds.’ A teacher in the Kyauktada district said the roads were deserted. ‘There aren't many people in the streets, only water delivery men,’ the resident said. UNICEF SAYS AT LEAST 23 CHILDREN KILLED The strike comes a day after staff at a funeral service in Mandalay told Reuters that a seven-year-old girl had died of bullet wounds in the city - the youngest of about 275 people killed in the bloody crackdown, according to the AAPP. Soldiers shot at her father but hit the girl who was sitting on his lap inside their home, her sister told the Myanmar Now media outlet. Two men were also killed in the district, it said. The military had no immediate comment on the incident. The Myanmar office of the United Nations children's agency said ‘the continuing use of force against children, including the use of live ammunition, by security forces is taking a devastating toll on children in Myanmar.’ UNICEF said in a statement that since the crisis started at least 23 children had been killed and at least 11 others seriously injured. The junta has faced international condemnation for staging the coup that halted Myanmar's slow transition to democracy and for its lethal suppression of the protests that followed. It has tried to justify the takeover by saying a Nov. 8 election won by Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) was fraudulent - an accusation the electoral commission has rejected. Military leaders have promised a new election but have not set a date and have declared a state of emergency. SUU KYI COURT HEARING Junta spokesman Zaw Min Tun said on Tuesday 164 protesters had been killed and expressed sadness at the deaths, a day after the European Union and the United States imposed more sanctions on groups or individuals linked to the coup. He blamed the bloodshed on the protesters and said nine members of the security forces had been also killed. He said strikes and hospitals not fully operating had caused deaths, including from Covid-19, calling them ‘undutiful and unethical’. Opponents of military rule have regularly called for strikes and parts of the economy have been paralysed by a civil disobedience campaign, including among civil servants. Suu Kyi, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 for her campaign to bring democratic civilian rule to Myanmar, has been in detention since the coup and faces charges that her lawyer says have been cooked up to discredit her. The ousted leader was due to appear for another court hearing via video conferencing on Wednesday, but the head of her legal team Khin Maung Zaw said it had been postponed until April 1, marking the second successive delay due to internet issues.  

* EU imposes sanctions on coup leaders * US takes action against military units * At least 261 killed since Feb. 1 coup: activists * Candle-lit vigils held in several cities in the country * Singapore foreign minister on regional tour of neighbours Myanmar protesters held candle-lit vigils for the scores killed in demonstrations against military rule, as Western countries imposed more sanctions on individuals and groups linked to last month's coup and an ensuing brutal crackdown on dissent. Hundreds of people clutching candles held a rally in the Ahlone district of the country's commercial hub of Yangon on Monday night, photographs on social media showed. At least 261 people have been killed by security forces attempting to quell weeks of pro-democracy protests in towns and cities across the country, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) activist group. Three people were killed in Myanmar's second city, Mandalay in unrest on Monday, including a 15-year-old boy, witnesses and news reports said. Security forces staged more raids in parts of Yangon on Monday night with shots fired and some people wounded, the Mizzima news service reported. The junta has tried to justify the coup by saying a Nov. 8 election won by Aung San Suu Kyi's party was fraudulent - an accusation the electoral commission rejected. Military leaders have promised a new election but have not set a date and have declared a state of emergency. Suu Kyi, who won the Nobel Peace Prize for her campaign to bring democratic civilian rule to Myanmar, is being held in detention while an array of accusations have been levelled at her, including bribery. Her lawyer says the charges are trumped up. There were also more examples of demonstrations overnight staged without people in a bid to avoid becoming targeted by security forces trying to stamp out organised rallies. In Hsipaw in Shan State the names of dead protesters written on cards were laid out next to candles with a sign reading ‘We spirits don’t want the junta’, DVB TV News reported. Elsewhere, helium-filled balloons were released on Monday bearing messages calling for international help. Street protesters were replaced by toy cars or dolls, some led by cardboard cutouts or manikins dressed in outfits. GERMANY SAYS REPRESSION ‘UNBEARABLE’ The European Union imposed on Monday sanctions against individuals involved in the coup and the repression of the demonstrators, marking the bloc's most significant response since the overthrow of Suu Kyi's elected government on Feb. 1. The 11 targeted included General Min Aung Hlaing, the commander-in-chief of the Myanmar military and head of the junta that has taken power. The EU already has an arms embargo on Myanmar and has targeted some senior military officials since 2018. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas told reporters before the meeting that the military repression ‘has reached an unbearable extent’. Stronger measures are expected soon as the bloc moves to take aim at the businesses run by the military, EU diplomats said. Washington had already sanctioned Min Aung Hlaing and the measures announced on Monday expanded the list. The US action targeted senior policeman Than Hlaing and military officer Aung Soe, as well as two Burmese Army divisions, the 33rd Light Infantry and 77th Light Infantry. US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said members of the 33rd Division had fired live rounds into a crowd in Mandalay. Both units were part of the security forces' ‘planned systemic strategies to ramp up the use of lethal force’, he said. There was no immediate response from the junta, which has shown no sign so far of being swayed by international condemnation of its actions. The junta spokesman is scheduled to hold a news conference on Tuesday afternoon. Singapore's Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan will visit Malaysia on Tuesday after stopping in Brunei Darussalam on Monday and before heading to Indonesia later this week. Malaysia and Indonesia are seeking an urgent high-level meeting of Southeast Asia's ASEAN regional grouping, of which Myanmar is a member, to discuss the crisis.    

Malaysia on Monday announced it had established a $2.4 million compensation fund to provide cash assistance for any Covid-19 vaccine recipients who suffer severe reactions due to inoculations. The Southeast Asian country has inoculated nearly 430,000 frontline workers, with the majority having received the first of two jabs of the vaccine jointly developed by US company Pfizer and German partner BioNTech. Under the new fund, individuals requiring extended hospitalisation due to a vaccine reaction will be eligible for 50,000 ringgit ($12,171), or if this results in permanent disability or death 500,000 ringgit, Health Minister Adham Baba said. Adham said health authorities had recorded 20 instances of adverse reactions to vaccination as of March 18, with symptoms ranging from itching to shortness of breath and palpitations. "There have not been any deaths linked to the vaccine," Adham told a news conference, without specifying the type of vaccine he was referring to. Malaysia's vaccination drive began on Feb. 23 using the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine with authorities only starting to administer the vaccine developed by China's Sinovac Biotech on March 18. Malaysia will also scrap a plan to reserve a second shot of the Pfizer vaccine for those who had already received their first dose, in a bid to speed up its vaccination drive. Malaysia has reported just over 330,000 coronavirus cases and 1,233 deaths after keeping infection rates relatively low for much of last year until a spike of infections from October that peaked in early February. Science Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said the government is confident that Pfizer will be able to provide the 32 million doses secured by Malaysia. Last week, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said the government will almost double its Covid-19 immunisation budget to 5 billion ringgit to speed up its target of vaccinating 80% of its 32 million population by December, instead of February 2022.

Many Asian countries are accelerating the rollout of AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine after confidence in its safety was hit, following reports that the shot was linked to rare blood clots in Europe earlier this month. After briefly halting its use, many European countries have resumed using the shot in their inoculation programmes after a regional regulator said it was safe, while several country leaders are also taking the vaccine to boost confidence. The AstraZeneca shot was among the first and cheapest of the Covid-19 vaccines to be developed and launched at volume and is set to be the mainstay of vaccination programmes in much of the developing world. But its brief suspension raised concerns that a slowdown in vaccination rollouts could hurt the global fight against the pandemic, as coronavirus cases surge in some countries, overwhelming healthcare systems and hurting economies. "I have just finished getting the (AstraZeneca) injection, there is no pain at the injection site, and there is no soreness of the body," Taiwan Premier Su Tseng-chang told reporters as the island launched its inoculation campaign on Monday. Thailand's prime minister also became the first person in the country to be inoculated with the AstraZeneca vaccine after its rollout was temporarily put on hold over safety concerns, while Indonesia began using it on Monday after suspending it last week. But Indonesia's Food and Drug agency has warned against its use on people with blood clotting disorders. South Korean President Moon Jae-in, 68, plans to get the shot on Tuesday after the government said it could be used on older people. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson received his first dose of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine on Friday, saying he "did not feel a thing." The European Medicines Agency regulator said on Thursday the vaccine is effective and not linked with a rise in the overall risk of blood clots. Yet a survey released on Monday showed that people in seven European countries were more likely to see the vaccine as unsafe than as safe. Many Asian countries heavily rely on the AstraZeneca vaccine to end the pandemic, as the shot is being used in inoculation programmes in Australia, South Korea, the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, and India. Some countries could face supply issues. India, which has the highest coronavirus caseload after the United States and Brazil, is delaying supplies of the vaccine to several countries, as it faces a second surge in cases, said a source with direct knowledge of the matter. The Serum Institute of India (SII), which produces the AstraZeneca vaccine, has told Brazil, Saudi Arabia and Morocco that further supplies will be delayed due to surging demand at home, the person said. Australia, which has inoculated just 1% of its population so far, is also accelerating vaccination after the country's pharmaceutical regulator approved on Sunday the local manufacturing of the AstraZeneca vaccine by CSL. Within 12 weeks, CSL is expected to produce 1 million doses of the vaccine each week.

* Two people killed and several wounded in clashes * External pressure builds, neighbours seek meeting * Leader of Feb. 1 military coup visits ocean outpost * State paper tells readers to resist foreign insults Demonstrators in Myanmar maintained their dogged opposition to military rule on Sunday despite a rising death toll, with two more people killed as the junta appeared equally determined to resist growing pressure to compromise. The country has been in turmoil since the military overthrew an elected government led by Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi on Feb. 1, bringing an end to 10 years of tentative democratic reform. One man was shot dead and several were wounded when police opened fire on a group setting up a barricade in the central town of Monywa, a doctor there said as a community group issued a call on Facebook for blood donors. Later, one person was killed and several were wounded when security forces fired on a crowd in the second city of Mandalay, the Myanmar Now news portal reported. At least 249 people have now been killed since the coup, according to figures from the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners activist group. The violence has forced many citizens to think up novel ways to express their rejection of a return to army rule. Protesters in some 20 places across the country staged candle-lit, nighttime protests over the weekend, from the main city of Yangon to small communities in Kachin State in the north, Hakha town in the west and the southernmost town of Kawthaung, according to a tally of social media posts. Hundreds of people in the second city of Mandalay, including many medical staff in white coats, marched in a "Dawn protest" before sunrise on Sunday, video posted by the Mizzima news portal showed. "Failure of the military regime, our cause our cause ... federal democracy, our cause our cause," the crowd chanted as the sky was beginning to brighten and birds called from trees lining deserted streets. Protesters in some places were joined by Buddhist monks holding candles while some people used candles to make the shape of the three-fingered protest salute. Others came out later on Sunday, including the crowd in Monywa, where police opened fire. "Sniper, sniper," people can be heard shouting in a video clip shortly after the man was shot in the head and more shots rang out. The spokesman for the junta was not available for comment but has previously said security forces have used force only when necessary. State media said on Sunday that men on motorbikes attacked a member of the security forces who later died. The military said two policemen were killed in earlier protests. The junta says a Nov. 8 election won by Suu Kyi's party was fraudulent, an accusation rejected by the electoral commission. Military leaders have promised a new election but have not set a date. Western countries have repeatedly condemned the coup and the violence. Asian neighbours, who have for years avoided criticising each other, have also begun speaking out. Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore have denounced the use of lethal force and called for the violence to stop. The Philippines has expressed concern. Indonesia and Malaysia want an urgent meeting of Southeast Asia's regional grouping, of which Myanmar is a member, on the crisis. But the military, which sees itself as the sole guardian of national unity and ruled for nearly 50 years after a 1962 coup, has shown no sign of even considering back-tracking on its seizure of power. Coup leader General Min Aung Hlaing visited the Coco islands, one of Myanmar's most strategically important outposts, 400 km south of Yangon, on Saturday and reminded members of the armed force there that their main duty was to defend the country against external threats. The state-run Kyemon newspaper prominently featured a quote from independence hero Aung San, Suu Kyi's father, who in 1947 said: "It is everyone's duty to sacrifice their lives and defend and fight back against foreign countries' insults." Suu Kyi, 75, faces accusations of bribery and other crimes that could see her banned from politics and jailed if convicted. Her lawyer says the charges are trumped up. Australia's SBS News reported that two Australian business consultants were detained as they tried to leave Myanmar, but it was not clear why. The broadcaster quoted an Australian foreign ministry spokeswoman as declining to comment on the two for privacy reasons.

* Protesters back out on Saturday * Two killed in overnight shooting in the north * Asian neighbours increasingly critical of Myanmar military Opponents of Myanmar's coup protested again on Saturday and international pressure on the military junta to halt its repression of democracy supporters increased, with Asian neighbours joining Western countries in condemning lethal force. A young man was shot and killed in one of the most turbulent neighbourhoods of the main city of Yangon, a resident and media reported, taking the death toll since the Feb. 1 coup to 238, according to a tally by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners activist group. The bloodshed has not quelled public abhorrence for the return of military rule and anger over the ouster of the elected government and the detention of its leader, Aung San Suu Kyi. But some activists say they have had to adapt tactics. "We protest where there are no police or military, then when we hear they're coming, we disperse quickly," campaigner Kyaw Min Htike told Reuters from Dawei in the south before he and others staged a brief rally outside the town centre. "I don't want to lose a single one of my comrades but we'll protest any way we can until our revolution prevails." Some groups gather at night with candles and placards, then melt away after taking photographs. People also stage "unmanned" protests, with rows of placards with messages like "We will never stop until we get democracy" set up on a street. On Saturday, dozens of demonstrators gathered in the second city of Mandalay. Several were injured when a vehicle drove into them and when police fired rubber bullets, a city news portal reported. It was not clear why the vehicle hit the protesters. There were small protests in other towns, including Kyaukme and Hsipaw in the northeast, Kawlin in the north, Hpa-an and Myawaddy in the east, Labutta in the Irrawaddy river delta, Myeik in the south and the central town of Yay Oo, according to news portals and social media images. Hundreds marched in the town of Monywa and burned a copy of the 2008 constitution, which was drafted under military supervision and limits the powers of elected civilians, the Irrawaddy news portal reported. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday condemned what he called the military's continuing brutal violence. A "firm, unified international response" was urgently needed, his spokesman quoted him as saying. UN rapporteur Tom Andrews called for sanctions in response to the generals' "ruthless" attacks on people. "The world must respond by cutting their access to money and weapons. Now," he wrote on Twitter. The US House of Representatives approved legislation condemning the coup, and lawmakers decried the increasingly harsh tactics against the demonstrators. Authorities have tightened restrictions on internet services, making information increasingly difficult to verify, and have clamped down on private media. Facebook has banned all pages linked to the military over guidelines on inciting violence. On Saturday, Twitter said it had suspended the information ministry's page under the company's "platform manipulation and spam policy". The ministry has been posting news daily. Western countries have repeatedly condemned the coup and the violence. Asian neighbours, who have for years abided by a code of not criticising each other's problems, have also begun speaking out. Indonesian President Joko Widodo, in some of the strongest comments yet by a regional leader, said he would ask Brunei, the chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), to call an urgent meeting. "Indonesia urges that the use of violence in Myanmar be stopped immediately so that there are no more victims," Jokowi said in a virtual address on Friday. Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said he was appalled by the persistent use of lethal violence against unarmed civilians. "We ... cannot afford to see our brotherly nation of Myanmar become so destabilised at the hands of a selected few, who seek to promote their own vested interests," he said. Philippine foreign minister Teodoro Locsin said that ASEAN had to act. Singapore has also spoken out against the violence and the coup that triggered it. But the military has shown no sign of being swayed and has defended its takeover, which derailed a slow transition to democracy in a country that was under strict military rule from a 1962 coup until the generals initiated reforms a decade ago. The junta says a Nov. 8 election won by Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy was fraudulent and its claims were ignored by the electoral commission. It has promised a new election but not set a date. Suu Kyi, 75, faces accusations of bribery and other crimes that could see her banned from politics and jailed if convicted. Her lawyer says the charges are trumped up. The Nobel peace laureate, who has campaigned for democracy in Myanmar for three decades, is being held at an undisclosed location.

Three Indonesian fishermen kidnapped by Abu Sayyaf militants more than a year ago have been rescued in the southern Philippines, police said Friday. The men were among eight crew members aboard a vessel when it was boarded by the notorious kidnap-for-ransom militants -- who have distant links to the Islamic State group -- off Borneo in January 2020. They were held in Sulu province in the southern Philippines -- the group's stronghold -- and during the ordeal, three were freed and one died. On Thursday, three of the men and one of their captors were found on a beach in the nearby province of Tawi Tawi after their motorboat capsized in bad weather, police Lieutenant General Guillermo Eleazar said. A fourth fisherman is missing while four militants travelling in a separate boat "were lost due to strong winds and big waves", Eleazar said. A search operation was underway as were efforts to identify the victims and locate their families, he added. Abu Sayyaf is a group of self-proclaimed militants based in the southern Philippines who have engaged in bombings as well as kidnappings of Western tourists and missionaries for ransom since the early 1990s. In recent years, the group has also preyed on cargo ships, tugboats and fishing vessels in poorly policed waters of the region near the sea borders with Malaysia and Indonesia.

* Security forces open fire in confrontation over barricade * Indonesian leader calls for end to violence * Singapore military chief also expressed concern * Two reporters detained in capital Myanmar security forces shot dead nine opponents of a Feb. 1 coup on Friday, a funeral services provider and media said, as Indonesia urged an end to the violence and the restoration of democracy, in an unusually blunt call from a neighbour. Military and police have used increasingly violent tactics to suppress demonstrations by supporters of detained elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi, but that has not put off the protesters, with crowds turning out again in several towns. Security forces opened fire in a confrontation in the central town of Aungban as they tried to clear a protesters' barricade, media and a witness reported. "Security forces came to remove barriers but the people resisted and they fired shots," the witness, who declined to be identified, said by telephone. An official with Aungban's funerary service, who declined to be identified, told Reuters eight people were killed, seven on the spot and one wounded person who died after being taken to hospital in the nearby town of Kalaw. The spokesman for the junta was not immediately available for comment but has previously said security forces have used force only when necessary. Critics have derided that explanation. One protester was killed in the northeastern town of Loikaw, the Myanmar Now news portal said, and there was some shooting in the main city of Yangon, but no word on casualties. Demonstrators were also out in the second city of Mandalay, the central towns of Myingyan and Katha, and Myawaddy in the east, witnesses and media reported. The total number killed in weeks of unrest has risen to at least 233, according to the latest report and a tally by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners activist group. Western countries have condemned the coup and called for an end to the violence and for Suu Kyi's release. Asian neighbours, led by Indonesia, have offered to help find a solution but a March 3 regional meeting failed to make headway. The 10 countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has long held to the principle of not commenting on each other's internal affairs, but there are growing signs the Myanmar crisis is forcing a reassessment of that. In some of the strongest comments from a regional leader on the crackdown, Indonesian President Joko Widodo called for democracy to be restored and for the violence to stop. "Indonesia urges that the use of violence in Myanmar be stopped immediately so that there are no more victims," Jokowi, as he is known, said in a virtual address. "The safety and welfare of the people must be the top priority. Indonesia also urges dialogue, that reconciliation is carried out immediately to restore democracy, to restore peace and to restore stability." Myanmar's coup leader, General Min Aung Hlaing, took part in a video conference with regional defence chiefs on Thursday, his first international engagement since seizing power, state television showed. At the meeting, the head of Indonesia's armed forces, Hadi Tjahjanto, expressed concern over the Myanmar situation, the Indonesian military said on its website. Indonesia's army ruled for years but eventually completely withdrew from politics. Singapore has also spoken out against the coup and the killing of protesters. Its military chief, Lieutenant-General Melvyn Ong, expressed his "grave concern" at the meeting and urged Myanmar to avoid lethal force, the Singapore defence ministry said. In Geneva, UN human rights experts denounced forced evictions, arbitrary detentions and the killings of protesters. They said foreign governments should consider pursuing those responsible for crimes against humanity. The European Union is set to impose sanctions on Myanmar's armed forces to target businesses they run. Nobel peace laureate Suu Kyi, 75, has been detained since the coup and faces accusations of bribery and other crimes that could see her banned from politics and jailed if convicted. Her lawyer says the charges are trumped up. The army has defended its takeover, saying its accusations of fraud in a Nov. 8 election swept by Suu Kyi's party were ignored by the electoral commission. It has promised a new election but not set a date. Information within Myanmar is becoming increasingly difficult to verify after authorities have restricted the internet services that protesters use to organise and report. The UN human rights office said this week about 37 journalists had been arrested and two more were detained in the capital, Naypyitaw, on Friday while covering a hearing for an arrested member of Suu Kyi's party, said the Mizzima news portal, the former employer of one of them, Than Htike Aung. The other detained reporter was Aung Thura of the British Broadcasting Corp (BBC). The BBC said they were taken away by unidentified men and it called on authorities to help find its accredited journalist and confirm he was safe.

Singapore's anti-narcotics agency has made its biggest seizure of cannabis in 14 years after conducting a series of raids this week in the city-state, which has some of the world's toughest drugs laws including capital punishment. A total of more than 35 kg (77 lb) of narcotics including about 20.5 kg of cannabis, as well as heroin, crystal methamphetamine and other drugs were seized in the raids, Singapore's Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) said. ‘This operation shows that cannabis remains a clear and present threat to society,’ a CNB spokesman told a briefing on Thursday. Three Singaporean men, aged between 27 and 33, were arrested over the haul estimated to be worth close to S$1.7 million ($1.26 million). The last seizure of cannabis on this scale was in April 2007, when about 20.6 kg was seized. While many countries in the world are moving to decriminalise cannabis for recreational, medical and scientific uses, Singapore shows no sign of relaxing its stance. ‘Many pro-cannabis lobby groups continue to make many unverified claims to encourage the use of cannabis, despite robust and well-documented studies on the harms of cannabis,’ the CNB spokesman said. The Southeast Asian nation said last year it was disappointed with the United Nations for removing cannabis from the most tightly controlled category of narcotic drugs. The wealthy city-state has a zero-tolerance policy for drugs and imposes long jail terms or the death penalty in some cases. It has hanged hundreds of people - including dozens of foreigners - for narcotics offences over past decades, rights groups say. The trafficking of more than 500 grams of cannabis can carry the death penalty in Singapore.   

* Philippines records 7,103 new Covid-19 infections * Government scales back operating capacity of businesses * Russia's Sputnik V vaccine approved for emergency use Moderna, J&J make inquiries about approval: FDA chief   The Philippines recorded 7,103 new coronavirus cases on Friday, a record daily increase in infections, as authorities tightened coronavirus curbs in the capital and approved Russia's Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use. A new wave of cases in the Philippines, which has the second highest number of Covid-19 infections and deaths in Southeast Asia, is threatening hopes of a strong economic rebound after a record contraction last year and the loss of millions of jobs. The health ministry said there were now 648,066 confirmed coronavirus cases and 12,900 deaths, including 13 more fatalities on Friday. ‘The ministry continues to appeal for us to stay home and avoid going out if not necessary,’ it said. The previous record was 6,958 cases on Aug. 10. The latest outbreak is again concentrated on the congested Manila region, and includes the more transmissible variants. The coronavirus task force on Friday reduced the number allowed at religious gatherings and conferences to 30% of capacity from the previous 50% until April 4. It also ordered cinemas, driving schools, libraries, museums and cockfighting arenas to close. The Philippines' Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Friday approved the Sputnik V vaccine developed by Russia's Gamaleya Institute. It is the fourth to get emergency use authorisation after Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Sinovac. ‘The known and potential benefits of the Gamaleya Sputnik V vaccine...outweigh the known and potential risks,’ FDA chief Rolando Enrique Domingo said, adding that interim data showed the vaccine had an efficacy of 91.6% in age groups 18 and older. US vaccine makers Moderna and Johnson & Johnson have made inquiries about the documents needed for emergency use approval but have yet to file applications, Domingo said. The Philippines launched its inoculation drive on March 1 and has received delivery of 1.125 million donated doses of the Sinovac and AstraZeneca vaccines. The government plans to roll out 140.5 million shots by December, to inoculate 70 million adults in a bid to achieve herd immunity.  

* Ousted MPs exploring how to hold people accountable for violence * Protest in birthplace of Suu Kyi's father * Three more killed in other protests: activists * Indonesia tells regional defence meeting concerned about crisis Ousted Myanmar lawmakers are exploring whether the International Criminal Court (ICC) can investigate any crimes against humanity committed since the Feb. 1 coup, as an activist group said three more people had died in clashes with security forces. Military and police have used increasingly violent tactics to suppress demonstrations by supporters of detained elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi but that has not put off the protests, with crowds out again in several towns on Friday. The total number killed in weeks of unrest has risen to at least 224, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners activist group said, noting another death in the commercial hub of Yangon and two in the cities of Monywa and Bago on Thursday. Myanmar's UN envoy, who publicly broke with the junta, said a committee of ousted lawmakers was looking at ways people can be held accountable for violence following the coup. ‘The ICC is one of them,’ Kyaw Moe Tun told an event in New York. ‘We are not a state party to the ICC, but we need to ... explore the ways and means to bring the case to the ICC.’ In Geneva, United Nations human rights experts denounced forced evictions, arbitrary detentions and the killings of pro-democracy protesters. They said foreign governments should consider pursuing those responsible for crimes against humanity. A junta spokesman has said security forces have used force only when necessary. Police in Yangon were forcing people to clear protesters' barricades on Friday, residents said, while demonstrators were out in the second city of Mandalay, the central towns of Aungban and Myingyan and the eastern town of Myawaddy, posts on social media showed. Police fired tear gas in Aungban and there was also a confrontation in Myawaddy but no reports of any casualties. Hundreds have fled towns and cities since the coup and are sheltering in areas controlled by ethnic minority militias on the Thai border, an official from one group said. People have also crossed the western border into India. INDONESIA ARMY CHIEF CONCERNED Security forces have focused on stamping out dissent in the commercial capital Yangon. But independent broadcaster Democratic Voice of Burma reported that thousands of people marched on Thursday in the central town of Natmauk. The Natmauk protest had a symbolic significance as it was the hometown of Aung San, who led Burma's struggle for independence from Britain but was assassinated in 1947. His daughter Suu Kyi, aged 75, is also hugely popular for her decades-long campaign for democracy. The Nobel peace laureate is now detained at an undisclosed location while facing accusations of bribery and other crimes which could see her banned from politics and jailed if convicted. Her lawyer says the charges are trumped up. Western countries have condemned the coup and called for an end to the violence and for Suu Kyi's release. Asian neighbours have offered to help find a solution, but Myanmar's military has shown no sign of seeking reconciliation. Coup leader General Min Aung Hlaing took part in a video conference with other Southeast Asian defence chiefs on Thursday, his first international engagement since seizing power, state television showed. During the meeting, the head of Indonesia's armed forces, Hadi Tjahjanto, expressed concern over the situation in Myanmar, the Indonesian military said on its website. Indonesia's army ruled for years but later completely withdrew from politics. Indonesia had led diplomatic efforts in Southeast Asia to resolve the crisis but a March 3 regional meeting it helped coordinate failed to make headway. A Myanmar military spokesman did not answer telephone calls seeking comment. EU SANCTIONS The European Union is due to place sanctions on individual military figures on Monday and then target businesses they run in what would be its most significant response since the coup. The EU's expected sanctions follow a US decision last month to target the military and its business interests. Britain last month froze the assets and placed travel bans on three generals. The army has defended its takeover, saying its accusations of fraud in a Nov. 8 election swept by Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy were rejected by the electoral commission. It has promised a new election but not set a date. Information within Myanmar is becoming increasingly difficult to verify after authorities have restricted the internet services that protesters use to organise and post reports and pictures. About 37 journalists have been arrested, including 19 who remain in detention, the UN human rights office said.  

* Internet connections getting more difficult * Suu Kyi investigated over alleged payments: state media * Protest in birthplace of Suu Kyi's father: media Myanmar faced growing isolation on Thursday with increasingly limited internet services and its last private newspaper ceasing publication as the military built its case against ousted elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Nobel peace laureate Suu Kyi was overthrown and detained in a Feb. 1 military coup, triggering mass protests across the country that security forces have struggled to suppress with increasingly violent methods. The total documented number of people killed in the unrest stood at 217 but the actual toll was probably much higher, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners activist group said. Western countries have condemned the coup and called for an end to the violence and for the release of Suu Kyi and others. Asian neighbours have offered to help find a solution, but the military has a long record of shunning outside pressure. Large parts of an economy already reeling from the novel coronavirus have been paralysed by the protests and a parallel civil disobedience campaign of strikes against military rule, while many foreign investors are reassessing plans. The UN food agency warned this week that rising prices of food and fuel could undermine the ability of poor families to feed themselves. ‘Whatever happens in Myanmar over coming months, the economy will collapse, leaving tens of millions in dire straits and needing urgent protection,’ historian and author Thant Myint-U said on Twitter. While the security forces have focused on stamping out dissent in Yangon and other cities, small demonstrations have erupted elsewhere day after day. Several thousand people marched in the small town of Natmauk on Thursday, the Democratic Voice of Burma reported. The central town is the birthplace of Aung San, the leader of Myanmar's drive for independence from colonial power Britain, and Suu Kyi's father. About 1,000 protesters on motorbikes drove around the central town of Taungoo and hundreds marched in the northern jade-mining town of Hpakant, the Irrawaddy news service reported. There were no reports of violence. A 24-year-old campaigner against military rule died on Wednesday, three days after he was detained and beaten in the central town of Monywa, the Irrawaddy and Myanmar Now news portal reported. The UN human rights office in Geneva said this week ‘deeply distressing’ reports of torture in custody had emerged in Myanmar. A junta spokesman did not answer telephone calls seeking comment. ALLEGED PAYMENTS Authorities have restricted the internet services protesters use to organise, with access to Wi-Fi in public areas largely shut off by Thursday. Residents of some towns, including Dawei in the south, reported no internet at all. The private Tachilek News Agency in the northeast published photographs of workers cutting cables it said were the fibre links with neighbouring Thailand. Reuters could not verify the report. Information within Myanmar is becoming increasingly difficult to verify. Some 37 journalists have been arrested, including 19 who remain in detention, the UN human rights office said. While authorities have ordered some newspapers shut, others have apparently been forced to close for reasons of logistics. The last private newspaper stopped publishing on Wednesday. State-run media have not been affected. State television said on Wednesday that Suu Kyi was being investigated for bribery in connection with accepting four payments worth $550,000 from a prominent businessman. Property developer Maung Weik, in comments broadcast in a state television news bulletin, said he had given Suu Kyi four payments, ranging from $50,000 to $250,000 from 2018 to 2020, when she headed the first civilian-led government in decades. ‘According to the testimony of U Maung Weik...Aung San Suu Kyi is guilty of bribery and the anti-corruption commission is investigating to take action under anti-corruption laws,’ it added. A spokesman for the junta said last week authorities were investigating Suu Kyi for receiving illegal payments. Her lawyer dismissed that accusation as a joke. He was not immediately available for comment on Thursday. Suu Kyi, 75, is hugely popular for her campaign against military rule since 1988, over which she has spent years in detention. The army defended its coup, saying its accusations of fraud in a Nov. 8 election swept by Suu Kyi's party were rejected by the electoral commission. It has promised a new election but not set a date. Suu Kyi already faces various charges including illegally importing walkie-talkie radios and infringing coronavirus protocols. If convicted, she could be barred from politics.    

* Monks' association calls for end to violence - report * Small protests in various towns * Yangon industrial zone sealed off after arson Myanmar's most powerful Buddhist monks' association called on the junta to end violence against protesters and accused an "armed minority" of torture and killing innocent civilians since last month's coup, media said on Wednesday. In its most forthright condemnation of the military's bloody crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrations, the government-appointed organisation also said in a draft statement its members intended to halt activities in an apparent protest. The State Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee (Mahana) planned to release a final statement after consulting the religious affairs minister on Thursday, the Myanmar Now news portal reported, citing a monk who attended a meeting of the committee. Monks have a long history of activism in Myanmar and were at the forefront of a 2007 "Saffron Revolution" against military rule, an uprising which, though suppressed, helped usher in democratic reforms. Mahana members could not immediately be reached by Reuters for comment, but their reported stance signals a rift with authorities by a group that usually works closely with the government. Myanmar has been in turmoil since the military ousted Aung San Suu Kyi's elected government on Feb. 1, detaining her and members of her party, drawing wide international condemnation. More than 180 protesters have been killed as security forces try to crush a wave of demonstrations, according to the activist group the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners. On Tuesday night, security forces fired shots and a 28-year-old man was killed at a demonstration in the commercial capital of Yangon, a brother of the victim said. While the security forces have focused on stamping out dissent in the main city of Yangon, small protests are being held elsewhere. Several hundred people gathered with protest signs in Demoso in the east, Pathein in the Irrawaddy river delta and Dawei in the south on Wednesday, pictures on social media showed. Residents of the second city of Mandalay and the central town of Monywa also reported protests. In one Yangon neighbourhood, protesters left rows of coconuts on a road, representing people, with a sign that read, "Give back our future!" A total mobile internet shutdown made it difficult to verify information and very few in Myanmar have access to Wi-Fi. A junta spokesman did not answer telephone calls to seek comment. Parts of Yangon have been placed under martial law and thousands of residents have fled the industrial suburb of Hlaingthaya where security forces killed 40 people on Sunday and Chinese-financed factories were set ablaze. "Here is like a war zone, they are shooting everywhere," a labour organiser in the area told Reuters, adding that most residents were too frightened to go outside. Two doctors told Reuters there were still wounded people in need of medical attention in the area, but the army had blocked access. One of the doctors said security forces shot dead a 16-year-old girl at a tea shop in the suburb on Tuesday. Chinese state media have warned that Beijing could take unspecified action if there are further attacks on Chinese-owned businesses. Many people in Myanmar believe Beijing is backing the military. Unlike Western powers, China has not condemned the coup and, along with Russia, has prevented the UN Security Council from denouncing the military's actions. France said the European Union would approve sanctions against those behind the coup next Monday. The junta charged with treason an emissary of ousted lawmakers who are attempting to re-establish the civilian government. Sasa, who goes by a single name and is not in the country, said he was proud to have been charged. "These generals have committed acts of treason every day," he said in a statement. The charges, which army-run television said were for encouraging a civil disobedience campaign and calling for sanctions, carry a possible death sentence. The Open Society Foundations, a philanthropic organisation founded by billionaire George Soros, called on Tuesday for the immediate release of a staff member held in Myanmar and said allegations of financial misconduct were false. State media have said authorities had detained an official from the Open Society Myanmar and were looking for 11 other employees on suspicion the group passed funds to opponents of military rule. The army said it took power after its accusations of fraud in a Nov. 8 election won by Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) were rejected by the electoral commission. It has promised to hold a new election but has not set a date. Suu Kyi, 75, has been detained since the coup and faces various charges including illegally importing walkie-talkie radios and infringing coronavirus protocols.

The Philippine capital Manila will widen a ban on minors leaving their residences to include youths of up to 18 years old for two weeks starting on Wednesday, tightening coronavirus restrictions in a bid to tackle a new surge of infections. Only those aged 18-65 years old will be allowed out of their homes, the Metro Manila Development Authority said in a statement, citing an agreement among mayors. The Philippines late last year started easing one of the world's longest and strictest lockdowns though a rule that anyone under 15 must stay indoors in Manila remained in place. The Southeast Asian country has seen a surge in Covid-19 cases this month, recording the largest daily increase since mid-August on Monday with 5,404 new infections. Nighttime curfews have been reimposed since Monday for two weeks in Metropolitan Manila, the country's coronavirus hotspot that is home to more than 12 million people. Additional measures such as liquor bans and localised lockdowns in areas with high infection rates have also been put in place. The extended age limit comes five months after authorities allowed people from 15 to 65 years of age to go out as part of efforts to revive an economy that suffered the worst slump on record last year. Facing criticisms about a slow-moving vaccination drive, coronavirus strategy chief Carlito Galvez said more doses should arrive soon. Nearly 2.4 million doses are expected by early April, comprising 979,200 doses of AstraZeneca's vaccine through the COVAX facility and 1.4 million Sinovac shots including 400,000 donated by China, he said. Galvez said there was no plan to halt the use of AstraZeneca's vaccine to inoculate healthcare workers, even though several European countries have paused administering it after reports of possible serious side-effects. The government has also signed an agreement with the Serum Institute of India for 30 million Novavax vaccine doses, due to arrive in the third or fourth quarter of the year, said Galvez.