Former UK Burmese ambassador faces five years in jail – the Express
Britain’s former ambassador to Burma could be jailed for five years after she was arrested by the country’s ruthless junta, reports the Express.
Mark Farmaner, the director of Burma Campaign UK, called Ms. Bowman’s detention “shocking and surprising news.”
Hours after Ms Bowman’s arrest, Britain announced that it was imposing new economic sanctions against companies linked to the Burmese military. Britain also announced that it would seek to intervene in a case brought by the Gambia at the International Court of Justice accusing Myanmar of violating the United Nations’ Genocide Convention for atrocities committed against Rohingya Muslims in 2017.
Anna Roberts interviewed by Sky News
Former British Ambassador to Myanmar Vicky Bowman and her Burmese artist husband have been arrested for violations of the country’s immigration act, according to a statement from Myanmar’s Ministry of Information. Burma Campaign UK’s Executive Director, Anna Roberts, was interviewed by Sky News about the arrest.
It comes as the UK Government announced new sanctions while hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees mark the fifth anniversary of their exodus from Myanmar to Bangladesh. Anna Roberts called on the UK government to increase the pressure on the Burmese military’s illegal regime.
Watch Sky News report (Anna Roberts interviewed 0.55 – 1.20)
Anna Roberts interviewed by BBC Burmese
Local and foreign criticism has been coming out on Dr. Noeleen Heyzer’s first visit to Myanmar with the position of United Nations Special Ambassador. So, is it really necessary to have a UN special diplomatic position?
BBC Burmese interviews Anna Roberts, executive director of Burma Campaign UK, about yet another UN Special Envoy being used by the Burmese military and achieving nothing. She calls on the UN Secretary General to work with UN member states to put pressure on the Burmese military: “Abolish the UN special position that has not worked for decades. UN Secretary-General should handle Myanmar’s affairs by yourself.”
Watch BBC Burmese report (Anna Roberts interviewed 6.32 – 13.06, dubbed into Burmese)
New UN envoy meets Myanmar junta – RTL Today
New UN Special Envoy Noeleen Heyzer has made her first visit to Burma, reports Luxembourg’s RTL Today. Rights groups said they had little optimism her visit would persuade the military to end its bloody crackdown and engage in dialogue with opponents of its coup.
“UN envoys have visited when the military told them to, stayed where the military told them to, met who the military arranged for them to meet and then left when the military told them to,” tweeted Mark Farmaner, director of Burma Campaign UK.
South Africa remains silent about executions in Myanmar – Business Day
David P Kramer of Free Burma Campaign (SA) has written to South Africa’s Business Day newspaper, saying SA’s government does not care at all about the country’s links to executed Myanmar activists.
He wrote to South Africa’s government when the four Burmese activists were sentenced to death, highlighting the friendship between Ko Jimmy and anti-apartheid campaigners in South Africa, and pointing out the close involvement of patrons of Burma Campaign UK’with the British anti-apartheid movement. He called on SA to raise its voice and demand that the planned executions not be carried out. He never received a reply.
International outcry as democracy activists executed – Sky News
Myanmar’s military authorities have executed four democracy activists accused of helping carry out “terror acts”, reports Sky News. The executed men included democracy-figure Kyaw Min Yu, better known as Jimmy, and former politician and hip-hop artist Phyo Zeya Thaw.
Burma Campaign UK said it was “deeply saddened” to learn of the news. “This is a desperately sad day for family and friends of those executed,” said senior advocacy officer Wai Hnin Pwint Thon. “I have known Ko Jimmy my whole life, he was an inspiration to me. He dedicated his life to freedom and democracy for the people of Burma.”
Read Assistance Association for Political Prisoners statement
Mark Farmaner interviewed by BBC Burmese
Representatives from Burma’s Military Council joined Putin allies such as China, India and Iran at the annual International Economic Forum in St. Petersburg, as the Russian invasion of Ukraine led to fewer attendees from the Western group.
Is Burma becoming a strategic ally for Russia? If Russia supplies Burma with fuel, electricity, and a communications network between banks, will the sanctions of western groups be impossible? BBC Burmese interviews former National Parliament Representative and economic observer writer U Than Soe, and Mark Farmaner, Director of Burma Campaign UK.
Watch BBC Burmese report (Mark Farmaner interview starts at 6.50, dubbed into Burmese)
Myanmar minister joins Southeast Asian defense meeting – Associated Press
Myanmar’s defense minister, under sanctions from the United States, Britain and other countries for abuses committed by his country’s military, has been welcomed to an annual meeting with his counterparts in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). More than 600 civic groups inside and outside Myanmar had issued an appeal to the ministers not to invite him.
Wai Hnin Pwint Thon, senior advocacy officer at Burma Campaign UK, told The Associated Press that ASEAN was failing to respect and stand with the people of Myanmar by inviting Mya Tun Oo to its meeting. “The military will see this invitation … as a sign of encouragement to continue carrying out their human rights violations in the country with complete impunity,” she said.
Military council and international diplomacy – VOA
Burma Campaign UK told the Voice of America (VOA) that some Asian and European countries are lowering the level of diplomatic relations in the Burmese military council’s diplomatic sphere, and that the National Unity Government (NUG) is increasingly accepted as the official representative of the Burmese people.
Asian and European governments, including the UK, are either renewing their diplomats or lowering their diplomacy to avoid recognising the military council as Burma’s legitimate representative. According to Mark Farmaner, director of Burma Campaign UK, these are behind the diplomatic battles with the military council.
On the other hand, Mark Farmaner commented: “ASEAN does not have a policy. Each member state has a completely different approach and different policies, and ASEAN is confused.”
Dozens of military airstrikes hit near Thai-Myanmar border – Thai Enquirer
At least 28 airstrikes hit near the Thai-Myanmar border yesterday, reports the Thai Enquirer, as the military junta conducts airstrikes close to the Thai border.
The Karen Human Rights Group said the footage obtained from the Thai side of the border appears to show air raids targeting a civilian area and reveals a drone conducting reconnaissance over a village before deploying military jets to bomb the area.
“28 Burmese military airstrikes in Dooplaya, Karen State today,” wrote Zoya Phan, the campaign manager at Burma Campaign UK. “Indiscriminate bombing of civilian areas is a war crime. Time for the UK, EU, USA and international community to sanction aviation fuel and support referring Burma to the International Criminal Court.”