ASIA/MYANMAR - Burmese in diaspora around the world: strike in support of Aung San Suu Kyi

Saturday, 12 June 2021 coup violence human rights civil society

MYANMAR

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Rome (Agenzia Fides) - "Global Myanmar Spring Revolution Weekend" is the public event that today and tomorrow, in over fifty cities in more than 20 countries around the world, will involve all the Burmese communities of the diaspora in support of the peaceful rebellion of the Burmese people against the military coup on February 1st and in conjunction with the G7 summit in Cornwall. The coup d'état has plunged the country back into the dark years of the dictatorship and above all in an era of violence that has already killed over 850 civilians who protested peacefully. The images and testimonies of continuous violations of the most elementary rights that come from a Country in flames, which Fides has reported in recent months, add to the tension on the eve of the trial held on Monday against Aung San Suu Kyi, Councilor of State and de facto leader of the Country before the coup. The Burmese "Lady" has just received a new accusation from the military regime under the anti-corruption law: the number of legal cases filed against her and filed by judges loyal to the junta has thus risen to seven, after Suu Kyi was arrested during the February coup together with incumbent President Win Myint. If she is found guilty of all charges, the 75-year-old Democratic leader faces at least 25 years in prison, which means she would have to spend the rest of her life in prison. The "Global Strike" of today, June 12, which is held (from 4 to 6 pm Greenwich time) therefore also becomes a way to support the innocence of Suu Kyi, accused of the most disparate faults, as "possession of two-way radios" and "violation of anti Covid rules".
Demonstrations are also held in Myanmar and simultaneously in many other cities in the United States, Asia and Europe. In Rome, the demonstration is held in front of Montecitorio, seat of the Italian Parliament, where the Italian-Burmese community is asking for the "Government of National Unity" (Nug), the shadow government formed by several Burmese deputies elected on November 8 to be formally recognized. Currently, several European parliamentarians are lobbying for the recognition of the Government of national unity and the extension of sanctions against the ruling regime. So far only the Czech Republic, with a letter from Prague's Foreign Minister, Martin Tlapa, has promised to adopt "the most suitable approach" in international forums to address the issue of recognition of the shadow government. The battle over the recognition of the Nug and the ousting of the junta from international forums has already seen the World Health Organization (WHO) announce that Myanmar will be excluded from its annual meeting, also the International Labor Organization (ILO) said in recent days that neither the Nug nor the junta will accept the credentials to represent Myanmar, postponing any decision to the UN General Assembly. Meanwhile, an international pressure group, made up of various bodies and organizations, urges the leaders of the G7 to "take decisive action to defend democracy and human rights in Myanmar". (MG-PA) (Agenzia Fides, 12/6/2021)