International

A critically endangered Sumatran tiger was shot dead on Saturday while another is still on the loose after they escaped from a zoo on Borneo island, leaving a zookeeper dead, an official said. The tigers, both female and about 18 months old, escaped from Sinka Zoo in the town of Singkawang, West Kalimantan late Friday after days of torrential rain caused a landslide and opened a tunnel allowing their exit. A 47-year-old zookeeper was found dead with scratches and bite wounds on his body. Authorities also found dead a cassowary, ostrich and monkey near the tiger cage. Police and conservation officials were immediately dispatched to search for the tigers. Nearby tourism attractions were ordered to close and locals were told to stay at home while police searched for the animals. "We tried with a tranquilliser gun first but it didn't work, so we were forced to shoot the tiger because it was already behaving very aggressively," Sadtata Noor Adirahmanta, the head of a local conservation agency, told AFP. "We were afraid it would escape to the nearest neighbourhood. Although we tried our best to catch it alive, our priority is humans' safety," he added. Authorities are still looking for the other tiger in the jungle surrounding the zoo. A cage with animal prey inside has been prepared in hope the escaped tiger will return to the zoo at her feeding time. Sumatran tigers are considered critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, with fewer than 400 believed to remain in the wild. Tiger parts are widely used in traditional medicine -- particularly in China -- despite overwhelming scientific evidence they have no beneficial value.

Myanmar saw its largest anti-coup protests yet on Saturday with young demonstrators spilling onto the streets to denounce the country's new military regime, despite a social media crackdown aimed at stifling a growing chorus of popular dissent. As many as 1,000 demonstrators marched on a road near Yangon University, most holding up the three-finger salute that has come to symbolise resistance to the army takeover, as a large police contingent blocked nearby roads. "Down with the military dictatorship!" the crowd yelled, many donning red headbands -- the colour associated with ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi's party. The march came hours after Twitter confirmed it had become the latest platform blocked by the junta, following a surge of new users circumventing blocks on Facebook and other internet services to express their outrage over the coup. The move "undermines the public conversation and the rights of people to make their voices heard," a Twitter spokesperson told AFP. The dawn arrests of Suu Kyi and other senior leaders this week brought a sudden halt to Myanmar's brief 10-year experiment with democracy, and catalysed an outpouring of fury that has migrated from social media to the streets. Online calls to protest the army takeover have prompted increasingly bold displays of defiance against the new regime, including the nightly deafening clamour of people around the country banging pots and pans -- a practice traditionally associated with driving out evil. Some have shown their opposition by gathering for group photographs with banners decrying the coup and flashing a three-finger salute earlier adopted by democracy protesters in neighbouring Thailand. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said a special envoy to the country had made "first contact" with Myanmar's deputy military commander to urge the junta to relinquish power to the civilian government it toppled. "We will do everything we can to make the international community united in making sure that conditions are created for this coup to be reversed," he told reporters on Friday. State media in Myanmar reported Saturday that junta figures had spoken with diplomats the previous day to respond to an international outcry and asked them to work with the new leaders. "The Government understand the concerns of the international community on the continuation of Myanmar's democratic transition process," International Cooperation Minister Ko Ko Hlaing said in the meeting, according to the report. - 'Freedom from fear' - As protests gathered steam this week, the junta ordered telecom networks to freeze users out of access to Facebook, an extremely popular service in the country and arguably its main mode of communication. The platform had hosted a rapidly growing "Civil Disobedience Movement" forum that had inspired civil servants, healthcare professionals, and teachers to show their dissent by boycotting their jobs in civil service and hospitals. The military widened its efforts to stifle dissent on Friday when it demanded new blocks on other social media services. Norway-based Telenor said its local phone company had been instructed to cut access to the platform late on Friday, adding it had "challenged the necessity" of the directive. An apparent ministry document ordering the blockade -- seen by AFP but not verified -- said Twitter and Instagram were being used to "cause misunderstanding among the public". Some internet-savvy users have managed to circumvent the social media block by using VPN services. By Saturday morning, trending hashtags like #WeNeedDemocracy, #HeartheVoiceofMyanmar and "Freedom from fear" -- the latter a famed Suu Kyi quote -- had millions of mentions. An immensely popular figure despite a tarnished reputation in the West, Suu Kyi has not been seen in public since the coup, but a party spokesman said Friday she was under house arrest and "in good health". US President Joe Biden was among world leaders this week to demand the generals "relinquish power... release advocates and activists and officials they have detained, lift the restrictions in telecommunications, and refrain from violence".

Sean Turnell, an Australian economic adviser to Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi, said in message to Reuters on Saturday he was being detained, days after she was overthrown in a coup. "I guess you will soon hear of it, but I am being detained," he said. "Being charged with something, but not sure what. I am fine and strong, and not guilty of anything," he said, with a smile emoji. It was not subsequently possible to contact him. This is the first known arrest of a foreign national in Myanmar since the army generals seized power alleging fraud in a Nov. 8 election that Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) won in a landslide. Australia's foreign ministry was not immediately available to comment. Turnell is a professor of economics at Macquarie University in Sydney and has been advising Suu Kyi on economic policy for several years. On Saturday, several thousand protesters gathered in Australia's second-largest city of Melbourne denouncing the coup and demanding the release of Suu Kyi. Television and social media footage showed people wearing the red colour of the NLD, carrying portraits of Suu Kyi and singing "We Won't Be Satisfied Until The End Of The World", the Burmese language anthem from the country’s 1988 pro-democracy uprising, brutally put down by the military government.

Myanmar police arrested another key aide of ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi and media said at least 30 people had been detained over pot-banging protests against a military coup as shows of anger gathered pace yesterday. International pressure on the junta was also growing with the UN Security Council calling for the release of Suu Kyi and other leaders and US President Joe Biden considering sanctions on the ruling generals. The latest high-profile detainee was 79-year-old Win Htein, a stalwart of Suu Kyi who was repeatedly imprisoned during their decades of struggling against previous juntas that led to the unsteady transition to democracy that began in 2011. “We have been treated badly continuously for a long time,” he told Reuters by telephone as he was being taken away by police. “I have never been scared of them because I have done nothing wrong my entire life.” Reuters was unable to reach police for comment on his arrest or what charges could be brought against him. In Myanmar’s second city of Mandalay, 30 people were arrested over pot-banging protests which have taken place for the last three nights against Monday’s coup, media reported. Eleven Media quoted Maung Maung Aye, deputy head of the regional police force as saying they were accused of breaking a law against “causing noise in public streets”. A teenager was among others arrested elsewhere over the noisy protests. There has been no outpouring of people onto the streets in a country with a bloody history of crackdowns on protests, but there were signs of coup opponents growing bolder – with dozens of youths parading in the southeastern city of Dawei. A campaign of disobedience also gathered pace with some teachers joining work stoppages that began with doctors in government hospitals. Students at Yangon’s Dagon University held a protest march on campus. “We don’t want this military coup which unlawfully seized power from our elected government,” said lecturer Nwe Thazin Hlaing at the Yangon University of Education. “We want the military coup to fail.” Army chief Min Aung Hlaing took power citing alleged irregularities in a November election that Suu Kyi’s party won in a landslide. The electoral commission has said the vote was fair. The 15-member UN Security Council released a statement on Thursday stressing the “need to uphold democratic institutions and processes, refrain from violence, and fully respect human rights, fundamental freedoms and the rule of law.” Language in the statement nonetheless made no mention of a coup. China’s UN mission said Beijing hoped the key messages in the statement “could be heeded by all sides and lead to a positive outcome”. Reuters was not immediately able to reach the Myanmar government for comment. Nobel Peace laureate Suu Kyi, 75, has not been seen since her arrest in morning raids on Monday. Police have filed charges against her for illegally importing and using six walkie-talkie radios found at her home. Biden said the United States was working with allies and partners to address the generals’ takeover. “There can be no doubt in a democracy force should never seek to overrule the will of the people or attempt to erase the outcome of a credible election,” he said. The White House said national security adviser Jake Sullivan spoke by phone with ambassadors from the Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean), a 10-member bloc to which Myanmar – also known as Burma – belongs. Sullivan earlier told a news briefing the Biden administration was looking at targeted sanctions on individuals and on entities controlled by the military.The leaders of Malaysia and Indonesia said Asean foreign ministers would be asked to hold a special meeting to discuss the situation. It is unclear how effective sanctions would be as Myanmar’s generals have few overseas interests that could be targeted. The military does, however, have extensive interests in the domestic economy and could pay a price if foreign companies that have invested over the past decade decide to pull out. Japanese drinks giant Kirin Holdings said yesterday it is terminating its alliance with a top Myanmar conglomerate whose owners, according to the United Nations, include members of the military. Kirin said the coup had “shaken the very foundation of the partnership”. Suu Kyi spent about 15 years under house arrest between 1989 and 2010 as she fought for democracy in a country that has been under military rule for most of the past six decades. She remains hugely popular at home despite damage to her international reputation over the plight of Rohingya refugees.

* UN Security Council stops short of condemning coup * Biden says Myanmar military should relinquish power * ASEAN foreign ministers to hold talks on Myanmar * Teachers join disobedience campaign The United Nations Security Council called for the release of Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi and others detained by the military as diplomatic and financial pressure grew on the generals who seized power this week to restore democracy. US President Joe Biden said the military should step down as the administration considered slapping sanctions on the generals responsible for Monday's coup in the Southeast Asian country. Streets in the commercial capital Yangon echoed again overnight with the clanging of tin pots as people denounced the military takeover, while teachers became the latest to join a widening campaign of civil disobedience. ‘We only support the elected government and we will always stand with them,’ university lecturer Nwe Thazin said. ‘We absolutely don't accept the government which took power by force.’ Myanmar's long and troubled transition to democracy was derailed on Monday when army commander Min Aung Hlaing took power, citing alleged irregularities in a November election that Suu Kyi's party won in a landslide. The electoral commission has said the vote was fair. The 15-member UN Security Council released a statement on Thursday stressing the ‘need to uphold democratic institutions and processes, refrain from violence, and fully respect human rights, fundamental freedoms and the rule of law.’ Language in the statement was softer than the original draft by Britain and made no mention of a coup - apparently to win support from China and Russia, which have traditionally shielded Myanmar from significant council action. China also has large economic interests in Myanmar and ties to the military. China's UN mission said Beijing hoped the key messages in the statement ‘could be heeded by all sides and lead to a positive outcome’ in Myanmar. Reuters was not immediately able to reach the Myanmar government for comment. Nobel Peace laureate Suu Kyi, 75, has not been seen since her arrest in morning raids on Monday. Police have filed charges against her for illegally importing and using six walkie-talkie radios found at her home. Biden said the United States was working with allies and partners to address the generals' takeover. ‘There can be no doubt in a democracy force should never seek to overrule the will of the people or attempt to erase the outcome of a credible election,’ he said. The White House said national security adviser Jake Sullivan spoke by phone with ambassadors from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), a 10-member bloc to which Myanmar - also known as Burma - belongs. Sullivan earlier told a news briefing the Biden administration was looking at targeted sanctions on individuals and on entities controlled by the military. The leaders of Malaysia and Indonesia said ASEAN foreign ministers would be asked to hold a special meeting to discuss the situation in Myanmar. It is unclear how effective sanctions would be as Myanmar's generals have few overseas interests that could be targeted. The military does however have extensive interests in the domestic economy and could pay a price if foreign companies that have invested in the country over the past decade decide to pull out. Japanese drinks giant Kirin Holdings said on Friday it is terminating its alliance with a top Myanmar conglomerate whose owners, according to the United Nations, include members of the military. Kirin said the coup had ‘shaken the very foundation of the partnership’. Global financial institutions were also reviewing their positions. The International Monetary Fund, which transferred $350 million in coronavirus assistance to Myanmar just days before the coup, said it would be ‘guided by our membership’ in deciding whether to recognise the new regime. 'LIGHTS IN THE DARK' Over 140 people have been detained since the coup, including activists, lawmakers and officials, Myanmar's Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) said. At least four people were arrested on Thursday, including a teenager who was banging a pot in what have become nightly acts of protest. Doctors have helped spearhead a campaign of civil disobedience that has also been joined by some other government employees, students, teachers and youth groups. Some teachers and healthcare workers are not showing up at work, while others are doing essential tasks only. The junta has blocked Facebook until Sunday to limit ‘fake news and misinformation’. Demand for VPNs surged over 4,000% as people sought to defeat the ban. The junta has imposed a one-year state of emergency and promised to organise new elections at an unspecified date in the future. Coup leader General Min Aung Hlaing told business leaders on Wednesday he could remain in charge for six months after the state of emergency ends. In a show of defiance, about a dozen lawmakers from Suu Kyi's party convened a symbolic parliamentary session on Thursday. Suu Kyi spent about 15 years under house arrest between 1989 and 2010 as she fought for democracy in a country that has been under military rule for most of the past six decades.    

* Social network used to spread 'instability': junta * Police say six illegal walkie-talkies found in Suu Kyi's home * UN chief says it will mobilise to make sure coup fails * More protests against coup in Yangon overnight Myanmar's junta blocked Facebook and other messaging services in the name of ensuring stability on Thursday as they consolidate power following a coup and the detention of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The move to silence online activists came after Myanmar police filed charges against Nobel Peace laureate Suu Kyi for illegally importing communications equipment, and as international pressure grew on the junta to accept the results of November elections won by her party in a landslide. Inside Myanmar, opposition to the junta had emerged very strongly on Facebook, which is the main internet platform for much of the country and underpins communications for business and government. People in Yangon and other cities banged on pots and pans and honked car horns for a second night on Wednesday in protest against Monday's coup. Images of the protests had circulated widely on Facebook. The social network has also been used to share images of a campaign of disobedience by staff at government hospitals across the country, who accuse the army of putting its interests above a coronavirus outbreak that has killed more than 3,100 people, one of the highest tolls in Southeast Asia. The Ministry of Communications and Information said Facebook, used by half of Myanmar's 53 million people, would be blocked until Feb. 7. ‘Currently the people who are troubling the country's stability ... are spreading fake news and misinformation and causing misunderstanding among people by using Facebook,’ the ministry said in a letter. Disruptions were patchy however. Some people found they could still access Facebook even if connections were slow. Some used VPNs to evade the blockage. Suu Kyi has not been seen since her arrest in the early hours of Monday morning along with other top leaders of her National League for Democracy (NLD). An NLD official has said she is under house arrest in the capital, Naypyidaw, but there has been no word on her whereabouts from the junta. The NLD won about 80% of the vote in the Nov. 8 polls, according to the election commission, a result the military has refused to accept, citing unsubstantiated allegations of fraud. The United Nations said it would increase international pressure to ensure the will of the people is respected. ‘We will do everything we can to mobilize all the key actors and international community to put enough pressure on Myanmar to make sure that this coup fails,’ United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said during an interview broadcast by The Washington Post on Wednesday. ‘It is absolutely unacceptable after elections - elections that I believe took place normally - and after a large period of transition.’ Addressing the coup in Myanmar was a priority for the United States and Washington was reviewing possible sanctions in response, the White House said on Wednesday. CHARGES 'ABSURD' Police said six walkie-talkie radios had been found in a search of Suu Kyi's home in Naypyidaw that were imported illegally and used without permission. The chair of the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Parliamentarians for Human Rights, Charles Santiago, said the charges against Suu Kyi were ludicrous. ‘This is an absurd move by the junta to try to legitimize their illegal power grab,’ he said in a statement. In court documents, police requested Suu Kyi's detention ‘in order to question witnesses, request evidence and seek legal counsel after questioning the defendant’. A separate document showed police filed charges against ousted President Win Myint, who was also detained on Monday, for violating protocols to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Suu Kyi spent about 15 years under house arrest between 1989 and 2010 as she led the country's democracy movement, and she remains hugely popular at home. The military had ruled Myanmar from 1962 until Suu Kyi's party came to power in 2015 under a constitution that guarantees the generals a major role in government. The junta headed by Army chief General Min Aung Hlaing has declared a one-year state of emergency and has promised to hold fair elections, but has not said when. Norway's Telenor Asa, Myanmar's leading mobile network operator, said it had no choice but to comply with the directive to block Facebook. ‘While the directive has basis in Myanmar law, Telenor does not believe that the request is based on necessity and proportionality, in accordance with international human rights law,’ it said in a statement. Facebook spokesman Andy Stone urged authorities to restore connectivity ‘so that people in Myanmar can communicate with their families and friends and access important information’. On Twitter, which is less popular in Myanmar and remained available, #CivilDisobedienceMovement was the top trending hashtag in the country. Close behind was #JusticeForMyanmar.    

Offline messaging app Bridgefy said it was downloaded more than 600,000 times in a few hours in Myanmar, after the country's military seized power on Monday and temporarily disrupted internet traffic. The Mexico-based startup, which gained popularity during Hong Kong's pro-democracy protests in 2020, tweeted that it hoped people in Myanmar would find its app "useful during tough times." After the country's democratically elected leaders were arrested, phone and internet connections were disrupted in the main city Yangon and the capital Naypyitaw and some other parts of the country. Communications had been restored by late Monday but, in social media posts seen by Reuters, activists in Myanmar encouraged the download of Bridgefy as a solution to possible further shutdowns. Bridgefy, whose backers include Twitter co-founder Biz Stone and which has also been used at anti-government rallies in Thailand, is one of several apps based on Bluetooth that use mesh networks to allow users to communicate without internet connections. They have gained popularity globally, especially in countries which have a history of imposing restrictions on social media platforms and internet providers - though security experts say they can be penetrated, exposing users to surveillance risks. A similar app, Firechat, has been used in protests in Iran and Iraq.

The United States led governments around the world in calling for the restoration of Myanmar's democracy on Monday after the military staged a coup, arresting civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other politicians.   The United States "will take action against those responsible if these steps are not reversed", White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a statement. She added that the US opposes any attempt to alter the outcome of the November elections, which handed Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) an overwhelming landslide, but sparked allegations of vote irregularities by the routed military-backed party. Newly appointed US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also called on Myanmar's military "to release all government officials and civil society leaders and respect the will of the people of Burma as expressed in democratic elections on November 8." Before the coup, Washington, alongside several other Western nations, had urged the military to "adhere to democractic norms" in a January 29 statement that came as the commander-in-chief threatened to revoke the country's constitution. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson condemned the coup and Suu Kyi's imprisonment. "The vote of the people must be respected and civilian leaders released," he tweeted.  China, which regularly opposes UN intervention in Myanmar, called for all sides to "resolve differences." "China is a friendly neighbour of Myanmar and hopes the various parties in Myanmar will appropriately resolve their differences under the constitutional and legal framework to protect political and social stability," foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said at a press briefing.   UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres "strongly" condemned the military's detention of Suu Kyi, President Win Myint and other leaders. "These developments represent a serious blow to democratic reforms in Myanmar," spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement. Japan urged Myanmar's military to free Suu Kyi and to restore democracy. "We request the release of stakeholders including state counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi who was detained today," Japan's foreign ministry said in a statement urging "the national army to quickly restore the democratic political system in Myanmar."  European Council President Charles Michel strongly condemned the coup. "The outcome of the elections has to be respected and democratic process needs to be restored," the former Belgian prime minister tweeted. "We call on the military to respect the rule of law, to resolve disputes through lawful mechanisms and to release immediately all civilian leaders and others who have been detained unlawfully," Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said.  "We have noted the developments in Myanmar with deep concern. India has always been steadfast in its support to the process of democratic transition in Myanmar. We believe that the rule of law and the democratic process must be upheld," India's Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement. The Turkish government, itself the target of a military coup in 2016, condemned the takeover and called for the politicians' release. "We strongly condemn the seizure of power by the Myanmar army. Turkey opposes all kinds of coups and we expect the immediate release of elected leaders, political figures and civilians who have been detained," the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.  Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed "grave concern about the latest situation in Myanmar," adding hopes that all parties would "exercise restraint." Indonesia's foreign minister likewise expressed "concern" while also urging "self-restraint." But Philippine presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the situation is an "internal matter." "Our primary concern is the safety of our people, he said. "Our armed forces are on standby in case we need to airlift them as well as navy ships to repatriate them if necessary."  "Bangladesh firmly adheres to and promotes democratic ethos. We hope that the democratic process and constitutional arrangements will be upheld in Myanmar. As an immediate and friendly neighbour, we would like to see peace and stability in Myanmar," Bangladesh's foreign ministry said in a statement. Norway, Sweden and Denmark condemned the military's seizure of power. "We urge military leaders to adhere to democratic norms and respect the outcome of the elections," Norway's Foreign Affairs Ministry tweeted. Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde said civilian leaders and others "unlawfully detained must be released immediately and unconditionally." Denmark's Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod said "military under civilian control is a key democratic principle." Bob Rae, Canada's ambassador to the United Nations, tweeted that Myanmar's military "wrote the Constitution this way so they could do this." "The Constitution of 2008 was specifically designed to ensure military power was deeply entrenched and protected," he said.

China said on Monday it had "noted" the military coup in Myanmar and hoped that all sides could properly manage their differences under the constitution and uphold stability. "We have noted what has happened in Myanmar and are in the process of further understanding the situation," Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a daily news briefing in Beijing. "China is a friendly neighbour of Myanmar's. We hope that all sides in Myanmar can appropriately handle their differences under the constitution and legal framework and safeguard political and social stability," he added. Last month the Chinese government's top diplomat, Wang Yi, met military chief Min Aung Hlaing, who has now assumed power, during a visit to Myanmar. Asked whether Myanmar had hinted there could be a coup during Wang Yi's visit, or whether China would condemn the coup, spokesman Wang reiterated his previous statement. China has long played an important role in the former Burma, standing by the country during its previous time as a military dictatorship, but also working closely with Aung San Suu Kyi when she became leader. Nobel laureate Suu Kyi has been detained along with other leaders of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party in early morning raids. China has strategic economic interests in Myanmar, with major oil and gas pipelines running through the country. China is also pushing the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor, a network - some of it existing and some planned - of transport and other projects passing through areas where ethnic minority factions often battle each other and government forces. Fighting in northeastern Myanmar sometimes sends refugees fleeing over the border into China, to Beijing's anger.

  * Army declares one-year state of emergency * Military takeover sparks international condemnation * Suu Kyi's party won November election in landslide * Military alleges election marred by fraud   Myanmar's military seized power on Monday in a coup against the democratically elected government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, who was detained along with other leaders of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party in early morning raids. The army said it had carried out the detentions in response to "election fraud", handing power to military chief Min Aung Hlaing and imposing a state of emergency for one year, according to a statement on a military-owned television station. Suu Kyi's party published comments on Facebook that it said had been written in anticipation of a coup, quoting her as saying people should protest against the military takeover. The coup derails years of Western-backed efforts to establish democracy in Myanmar, also known as Burma, where neighbouring China also has a powerful influence. The generals made their move hours before parliament had been due to sit for the first time since the NLD's landslide win in a Nov. 8 general election viewed as a referendum on Suu Kyi's fledgling democratic rule. Phone and internet connections in the capital, Naypyitaw, and the main commercial centre of Yangon were disrupted and state television went off air after the NLD leaders were detained. Suu Kyi, President Win Myint and other NLD leaders were "taken" in the early hours of the morning, NLD spokesman Myo Nyunt told Reuters by phone. Reuters was subsequently unable to contact him. A video posted to Facebook by one MP appeared to show the arrest of another, regional lawmaker Pa Pa Han. In the video, her husband pleads with men in military garb standing outside the gate. A young child can be seen clinging to his chest and wailing. Troops and riot police stood by in Yangon where residents rushed to markets to stock up on supplies and others lined up at ATMs to withdraw cash. Banks subsequently suspended services due to poor internet connections. The detentions came after days of escalating tension between the civilian government and the military in the aftermath of the election. Suu Kyi's party won 83% of the vote in only the second election since the military agreed to share power in 2011. The pre-written statement uploaded on an NLD Facebook page quoted Suu Kyi as saying such army actions would put Myanmar "back under a dictatorship". "I urge people not to accept this, to respond and wholeheartedly to protest against the coup by the military," it quoted her as saying. Reuters was unable to reach any NLD officials to confirm the veracity of the statement. Supporters of the military celebrated the coup, parading through Yangon in pickup trucks and waving national flags. "Today is the day that people are happy," one nationalist monk told a crowd in a video published on Facebook. But democracy activists and NLD voters were horrified and angry. "Our country was a bird that was just learning to fly. Now the army broke our wings,” student activist Si Thu Tun said. "The NLD is the government we voted for. If they're unhappy with the result, they can call another election. A coup isn't acceptable," said a woman, who declined to be identified, whose husband works for the military. Senior NLD leader Win Htein said in a Facebook post the army chief's takeover demonstrated his ambition rather than concern for the country. Health Minister Myint Htwe referred in a post to the "evolving situation" and said he was stepping down. He urged colleagues to serve the people, especially with regard to the coronavirus and vaccinations. In the capital, security forces confined members of parliament to residential compounds on the day they had expected to take up their seats, representative Sai Lynn Myat said. The military, summarising a meeting of the new junta, said Min Aung Hlaing had pledged to practice a "genuine discipline-flourishing multiparty democratic system" and promised a free and fair election and a handover of power to the winning party. It gave no timeframe for an election but the military had already said the state of emergency would last a year. The United Nations led condemnation of the coup and calls for the release of detainees and restoration of democracy in comments largely mirrored by Australia, Britain, the European Union, India, Japan and the United States. "The military must reverse these actions immediately," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said, while the US embassy in Yangon issued an alert warning US citizens of the "potential for civil and political unrest". In Japan, a major aid donor with scores of businesses in Myanmar, a ruling party source said the government may have to rethink the strengthening of defence relations with the country undergone as part of regional efforts to counterbalance China. China called on all sides in Myanmar to respect the constitution and uphold stability in a statement which "noted" events in the country rather than expressly condemning them. Bangladesh, which is sheltering around one million Rohingya who fled violence in Myanmar, called for "peace and stability" and said it hoped a process to repatriate the refugees could move forward. The Association of South East Asian Nations, of which Myanmar is a member, called for "dialogue, reconciliation and the return to normalcy" while in Bangkok, police clashed with a group of pro-democracy demonstrators outside Myanmar's embassy. "It's their internal affair," a Thai government official said of events in Myanmar - a handsoff approach also taken by Malaysia and the Philippines. Nobel Peace Prize winner Suu Kyi, 75, came to power after a 2015 election win that followed decades of house arrest and struggle against the military, which seized power in a 1962 coup and stamped out all dissent for decades. While still hugely popular at home, her international reputation was damaged after she failed to stop the expulsion of hundreds of thousands of ethnic Rohingya Muslims in 2017. Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh also condemned the takeover. The November vote faced some criticism in the West for disenfranchising many Rohingya but the election commission rejected military complaints of fraud. In its statement declaring the emergency, the military cited the failure of the commission to address complaints over voter lists, its refusal to postpone new parliamentary sessions and protests by groups unhappy with the vote. "Unless this problem is resolved, it will obstruct the path to democracy and it must therefore be resolved according to the law," the military said, citing an emergency provision in the constitution in the event sovereignty is threatened.

Vietnam approved its first Covid-19 vaccine and cut short an important ruling Communist Party (CP) meeting, state media reported yesterday, as the country battled its biggest coronavirus outbreak since the pandemic began. Vietnam, a country of some 98mn people that has so far been highly successful in combating the virus, has recorded 208 new cases since reporting two locally transmitted cases in the northern province of Hai Duong on Thursday, including 62 cases reported yesterday. That is a rapid spread given Vietnam has recorded just 1,767 cases and 35 deaths since the disease was first detected a year ago, including 901 locally transmitted infections, thanks to mass testing and a centralised quarantine programme. “We have experience handling recent outbreaks,” deputy health minister Nguyen Truong Son said in a government statement yesterday, adding that officials would try to contain the outbreak by Feb 6, ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday. The government statement said materials and equipment designed to combat a hypothetical scenario of as many as 10,000 cases would be deployed before the Lunar New Year holiday. The coronavirus taskforce chief had previously advocated a plan designed to prepare for a scenario of 30,000 cases. Vietnam locked down two remote districts in the coffee-growing Central Highlands province of Gia Lai after at least five people there tested positive for the virus, the government said. “The disease has spread to the community, the variant is dangerous and spreading very quickly,” a statement said, adding that all the cases in Gia Lai were linked to the Hai Duong epicentre. Authorities rushed to test thousands of people as authorities confirmed the outbreak had spread to Hanoi, where the ruling party is holding its five-yearly congress to pick a new leadership. State media reported the congress would end on Monday, a day earlier than planned. The reports did not say why, and were later removed from the websites of official state news outlets. The Vietnamese health ministry approved a vaccine from AstraZeneca PLC for domestic inoculation hours after Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said late on Friday that the country must have a vaccine in the first quarter. The government had previously said it was in talks to procure 30 million doses of the vaccine. The port city of Haiphong, where a case linked to the new outbreak has been detected, also said it would separately seek to secure 2mn vaccine doses for its population. Most of the new cases have been recorded in Hai Duong, where 2,340 factory workers have been isolated after one employee came into contact with a person who tested positive for the more contagious B.1.1.7 UK variant of the disease upon arrival in Japan in mid-January.

* Philippine capital under partial restrictions since August * Continued restrictions may hamper recovery: govt official * Relaxes entry for foreigners with visas, spouses of Filipinos The Philippines extended on Friday partial Covid-19 restrictions in the capital Manila until the end of February in a bid to slow a spike in infections after year-end holidays, officials said, warning the curbs could further delay economic recovery. From one of Asia's fastest growing nations before the pandemic, the Philippines suffered its worst economic decline in 2020 as a strict coronavirus lockdown shuttered businesses and put millions out of work. The Manila region, which accounts for 40% of the country's economic output and is home to at least 12 million people, remains the epicentre for the outbreak in the Philippines, which has the second-highest case load in Southeast Asia. Some curbs have been gradually eased, but a new rise in the number of coronavirus infections and local transmission of a more contagious Covid-19 variant have prevented the Philippines from reopening its economy faster. The presidential spokesman confirmed in a statement restrictions that include limited operations at shopping malls and dine-in eateries, as well as curbs on gatherings and public transport capacity, would be prolonged. Acting economic planning chief Karl Kendrick Chua separately warned the country must learn to live with the virus to avoid derailing an economic recovery. ‘There's no country that I know with a level of quarantine that is so broad, so deep and so long’, Chua told foreign correspondents on Friday. The Philippine economy contracted 9.5% in 2020, the biggest slump on record. Manila on Friday also relaxed travel curbs on foreigners coming from more than 30 countries, including the United States and China, that have detected cases of the more contagious British variant of the coronavirus starting from next month. The move covers foreigners previously allowed to enter the Philippines, including those holding work visas and spouses of Filipinos, but tourists would remain banned.    

British citizens returning home from roughly 30 countries deemed at ‘high risk’ from new coronavirus variants could soon have to quarantine in hotels, reports said on Wednesday. Beefed-up rules will require the travellers to stay in hotels near airports for 10 days, according to the Times and BBC. Non-UK arrivals from the targeted destinations -- which include South America, Portugal, Cape Verde and South Africa -- are already barred following the discovery of two virus variants in Brazil and South Africa. The 10-day quarantine will cost returning Britons £1,500 ($2,060, 1,697 euros), with meals served at the bedroom door and security guards supervising stays. Interior minister Priti Patel is due to make a statement in parliament later on Wednesday on the borders policy after a meeting of the government's Covid-19 operations committee. Housing minister Robert Jenrick told Sky News the government would be taking ‘further steps... to ensure that there is less flow of individuals’ returning but gave no further details. The Times reported ministers were divided between those backing the limited quarantine regime and those favouring a blanket policy requiring arrivals from all destinations to self-isolate in hotels. The main opposition Labour Party's health spokesman Jonathan Ashworth said stricter border measures were long overdue and urged the government to consider a more comprehensive policy. ‘There will be areas or countries across the world where there are mutations which haven't been identified yet because they don't have the same level of scientific ability,’ he told the BBC. Britain has been the hardest hit in Europe from the pandemic, becoming only the fifth country in the world to surpass 100,000 deaths after recording another 1,631 fatalities on Tuesday. With a more contagious virus variant sweeping the country since December, some health experts have warned it could register as many as 50,000 further deaths in the coming months. Prime Minister Boris Johnson imposed a third national lockdown in early January, shutting schools and non-essential shops, but critics have said the UK's borders remain a soft spot. The government earlier this month scrapped its ‘travel corridors’ from countries with lower caseloads, and now asks all arrivals to show negative Covid-19 tests and then self-isolate. Ministers have since been mulling whether to require all incoming travellers to isolate in hotels, emulating past actions taken by countries such as Australia and New Zealand which have emerged with dramatically lower death tolls.  

* Consortium did not meet requirements: governor * Cancellation setback for President's China policy * China's CCCC among US blacklisted firms * China urges fair treatment for its companies A Philippine province has cancelled a decision to award $10 billion airport project to a consortium led by a Chinese state firm, dealing a blow to President Rodrigo Duterte's infrastructure ambitions and to his policy shift towards Beijing. The consortium of China Communications Construction Co (CCCC) and Philippine firm MacroAsia Corp was the only bidder in the 2019 auction to help the Cavite provincial government upgrade Sangley airport, in what would have been one of the country's most expensive infrastructure projects. Cavite's governor Juanito Victor Remulla told Reuters on Wednesday the consortium's documentation was ‘deficient in three or four items’. ‘We saw it as a sign they were not fully committed,’ Remulla said. MacroAsia made the announcement on Wednesday. It said earlier that coronavirus travel curbs had prevented the consortium from providing necessary documents. Its shares closed up 0.36% having earlier fallen as much as 19% over the cancellation. China's CCCC did not respond to a request for comment. Remulla said the decision was not related to a US sanctioning of CCCC and other Chinese state firms in August. The United States has blacklisted numerous Chinese companies over their roles in building military installations on submerged reefs in disputed areas of the South China Sea, including one within missile range of the Philippines. The Philippine foreign minister had recommend projects involving those firms be terminated. Duterte's office, however, rejected that arguing their completion was in the national interest. The collapse of the airport deal will be a setback for Duterte, whose opponents say he has gambled with sovereignty and bet heavily on China transforming the Philippines' outdated infrastructure with billions of dollars of investment that has largely not materialised. Duterte, whose six-year term ends next year, has seen dozens of projects under his ‘build, build, build’ programme delayed, cancelled or downsized. He has been criticised for threatening to cut ties with old ally the United States while heaping praise on China's leadership and refusing to confront it over the conduct of its navy and coastguard in the South China Sea. His spokesman, Harry Roque, declined to comment on the airport deal or the president's China policy. The Sangley airport was one of two multi-billion airport projects intended to take pressure off Manila airport. Governor Remulla said in a Facebook post that Cavite would start new negotiations for a private sector partner. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian was not aware of the issue but said the government supported legal operations of Chinese firms in the Philippines. ‘We hope the Philippines can provide a conducive business environment for Chinese companies,’ he said.  

The Philippines has confirmed domestic transmission of the new, highly contagious British variant of the coronavirus, prompting President Rodrigo Duterte to abandon a plan to allow some minors to go outside their homes. ‘Right now, we have local transmission where this individual or these cases with the variant have already infected their community, their family,’ Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire told news channel ANC on Tuesday. The world is scrambling to contain the spread of the B.1.1.7 variant, despite travel bans, new lockdowns and a tightening quarantine measures in dozens of countries, amid concerns it could not only be more transmissible, but deadlier. The Philippine health ministry said the B.1.1.7 variant had spread among 12 people in Bontoc, a mountainous northern province, with 17 such cases in the country. Its first case of the British variant was found in a Filipino who had travelled from the United Arab Emirates. Citing the British variant, Duterte said he had scrapped a plan to allow children ages 10 to 14 in low-risk areas to go outside the home starting Feb. 1. The Philippines, which has imposed some of the world's toughest coronavirus restrictions, including internal travel bans, has since March last year officially prohibited minors from leaving the home. ‘I am afraid because this new strain strikes the young children,’ Duterte said late Monday. ‘They can glue their attention on TV the whole day.’ The government had hoped easing restrictions on children might boost economic activity, after a year when growth is expected to have contracted 8.5%-9.5%. With nearly 515,000 coronavirus cases and more than 10,200 deaths, the Philippines is among the worst affected countries in Asia.    

Indonesia said on Sunday its coast guard had seized the Iranian-flagged MT Horse and the Panamanian-flagged MT Frea vessels over suspected illegal fuel transfers off the country's waters. A statement from coast guard spokesman Wisnu Pramandita said the tankers, seized in waters off Kalimantan province, were escorted to Batam island in Riau Island Province for further investigation.  MT Frea "The tankers, first detected at 5:30 a.m. local time (2130 GMT on Jan. 23) concealed their identity by not showing their national flags, turning of automatic identification systems and did not respond to a radio call," the statement said. "There was an oil spill around MT Frea." The International Maritime Organization requires vessels to use transponders for safety and transparency. Crews can turn off the devices if there is a danger of piracy or similar hazards. But transponders are often shut down to conceal a ship's location during illicit activities. Iran, which not commented on the seizure, has been accused of concealing the destination of its oil sales by disabling tracking systems on its tankers, making it difficult to assess how much crude Tehran exports as it seeks to counter US sanctions. In 2018, former President Donald Trump pulled Washington out of Iran's 2015 nuclear deal with six major powers and reimposed sanctions aimed at cutting Tehran's oil exports to zero. Iran sent the MT Horse vessel to Venezuela last year to deliver 2.1 million barrels of Iranian condensate.

Relatives of 62 people killed when an Indonesian passenger jet slammed into the sea scattered flowers at the crash site Friday, as investigators look for clues to why the plane dropped from the sky minutes after takeoff. The memorial came as the search for human remains and wreckage ended two weeks after the Sriwijaya Air Boeing 737-500 plunged roughly 10,000 feet in less than a minute before crashing into waters off Jakarta. However, the hunt continues for a still-missing cockpit voice recorder, as investigators pore over details from a retrieved flight data recorder -- so-called black boxes that could be critical to the probe. Maintenance logs pointed to an issue with the plane's autothrottle, which controls engine power, authorities said, but it was not clear what role -- if any -- the apparent malfunction played. On Friday, dozens of relatives tossed red petals from the deck of a navy ship, some overcome with emotion. "When I cast the flowers I could see my sister's face on the surface of the water," said Heri Purnomo, whose older sibling Agus Minardi and her husband were on the flight. "I burst into tears... It was a very sad moment." Jefferson Irwin Jauwena, the airline's president director, said he was "devastated" by the accident which claimed 12 crew lives. "We also feel sad and lost," he said. So far, 47 of the 62 victims have been identified through fingerprints and DNA matches to living family. But Bety Saprianti, 33, who lost five relatives, is waiting for her aunt to be officially identified. "We did not attend the ceremony today. None of our family joined -- it was too painful," she said. "Our only hope now is (the last) of our relatives is identified soon." The 26-year-old plane crashed just four minutes after setting off from Jakarta, bound for Pontianak city on Borneo island, a 90-minute flight away. Authorities said the crew did not declare an emergency or report technical problems with the aircraft before its dive, and that it was probably intact when it hit the water -- citing a relatively small area where the wreckage was scattered. The crash probe is likely to take months, but a preliminary report is expected next month.

Foreigners caught not wearing face masks on the Indonesian resort island of Bali are being subject to an unusual punishment: push-ups. Video footage circulating on social media this week shows tourists in T-shirts and shorts being made to do the exercise in sweltering tropical heat as masked security officials stood over them. Bali authorities made wearing a face mask in public mandatory last year as Indonesia battled a raging Covid-19 outbreak. In recent days, however, scores of foreigners have been caught without face coverings, said security official Gusti Agung Ketut Suryanegara. More than 70 people paid a fine of 100,000 rupiah ($7), but about 30 others said they did not have the cash. Instead, they were ordered to do push-ups. Those not carrying a mask had to do up to 50, while those who were wearing one improperly were punished with 15. "At first, they would claim that they didn't know the regulation," Suryanegara told AFP. "Then they said they forgot, or that the mask was wet or damaged." Some Indonesians on the island, which is a pocket of Hinduism in the world's most populous Muslim-majority country, have also been hit with the unusual punishment. Bali's authorities have also warned that foreigners who break virus regulations could be thrown out of the country, although so far there have no reports of anyone being deported for failing to wear a mask. The island, which has been hammered by the epidemic, remains officially closed to overseas tourists but is home to many long-term residents from abroad. Foreigners living elsewhere in Indonesia can still visit.

A powerful earthquake that struck Indonesia's Sulawesi island last week has killed at least 84 people and displaced more than 30,000, according to search and rescue agency (Basarnas) data on Monday. The 6.2-magnitude quake, one of a string of disasters to hit Indonesia in recent weeks, struck West Sulawesi early Friday morning, sending thousands fleeing from their beds. As search and rescue operations continued on Monday, Basarnas official Didi Hamzar told a news conference that 84 people were confirmed to have died. The disaster mitigation agency BNPB said that more than 300 had been seriously injured. The quake caused significant damage to hundreds of homes, a mall, hospital and several hotels, and has been followed by more than 39 aftershocks. Jan Gelfand, head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in Indonesia, said rescue teams had been working round the clock. "Each minute has been critical in the race against time to rescue people trapped deep underneath collapsed buildings," he said. With thousands displaced, authorities were also working to stem the spread of the coronavirus among evacuees, including by conducting rapid antigen tests, the BNPB said. Aside from the earthquake, Indonesia suffered a plane crash on Jan. 9 that killed all 62 on board, a deadly landslide in Java, while the Merapi and Semeru volcanoes have also erupted in recent days. President Joko Widodo flew to South Kalimantan on Borneo island on Monday to view flood affected areas where at least 15 people have died following weeks of torrential rains. Straddling the Pacific "Ring of Fire," Indonesia is regularly hit by earthquakes. In 2018, a 7.5-magnitude quake and subsequent tsunami struck Palu, in Sulawesi, killing thousands. The country’s meteorology agency has warned of continued aftershocks, along with the risk of extreme weather in coming weeks.

At least 73 people have been killed after an earthquake struck Indonesia’s West Sulawesi province on Friday, the disaster mitigation agency (BNPB) said on Sunday, the latest in a string of disasters to hit the Southeast Asian country. More than 820 people were injured and over 27,800 left their homes after the 6.2 magnitude quake, BNPB spokesman Raditya Jati said. Some sought refuge in the mountains, while others went to cramped evacuation centres, witnesses said. Police and military officers have been deployed to crack down on looting in several parts of the region, Jati added. An emergency response status, intended to help rescue efforts, has also been put in place for two weeks, he said. Dwikorita Karnawati, the head of Indonesia’s meteorological, climatology and geophysical agency (BMKG), has said that another quake in the region could potentially trigger a tsunami. Straddling the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, Indonesia is regularly hit by earthquakes. In 2018, a devastating 6.2-magnitude quake and subsequent tsunami struck the city of Palu, in Sulawesi, killing thousands. Just two weeks into the new year, the world’s fourth-most populous country is battling several disasters. Floods in North Sulawesi and South Kalimantan province each have killed at least five this month, while landslides in West Java province have killed at least 29, authorities said. On Jan. 9, a Sriwijaya Air jet crashed into the Java Sea with 62 onboard. East Java’s Semeru mountain erupted late on Saturday, but there have been no reports of casualties or evacuations. Dwikorita said extreme weather and other “multi-dangers” of hydrometeorology are forecast in the coming weeks.