Faizel Patel – 04/02/2021
Radio Islam’s Asia-Pacific correspondent Kiru Naidoo says stringent measures are being implemented in Myanmar following the coup in that country.
Myanmar plunged back into direct military rule on Monday when soldiers detained de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other civilian leaders in a series of dawn raids.
The coup has sparked fears the military will drag 54 million people back to the decades of junta rule.
Naidoo says with latest security measures in place, people in Burma will not be abale to access social media platforms including Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram.
“Most of the 53 million population access these facilities through their mobile phones and one of the first things the military did after the coup was to close of telephone access and internet access. So this is a further move to isolate the country and keep in mind that Burma was one of the most isolated country’s in the world between the 1962 coup and the 1990 elections.”
Naidoo says the military is getting into every facet of the country’s operations.
“It’s just appointed an eleven member cabinet of generals, former generals and advisors to the military. So it’s effectively seized power from an electorate government and is looking to impose that will at every facet of the country’s economy and society.”
Naidoo says the coup has been condemned across the world.
“Interestingly enough, even refugees in Bangladesh, Rohingiya refugees have expressed themselves about the deteriorating situation in Burma. One can expect that any hope of return for those exiled people who faced massive dislocation and genocide over the past three years, that there’s also scanty hope of return for them.”
Naidoo says the critical factor is how China will react to the coup as the major player in the Indo-Pacific region.
Naidoo also touched on stories including US President Joe Biden while speaking to many world leaders since taking office, but is yet to speak to his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping and COVID-19 putting the new Japanese administration to the test.
Listen to the Asia-Pacific report with Kiru Naidoo.
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