RFA
Ven. Ariyabiwuntha, the abbot of Myawaddy Mingyi Monastery in central Myanmar, was arrested on Feb. 1 during the military coup d’état for criticizing the army’s interference in Myanmar’s political system. Ven. Ariyabiwuntha, who is also known as Myawaddy Mingyi Sayadaw, has been a long-time critic of the army’s influence on society. He was among scores of political detainees released in an amnesty on Monday that critics said was an attempt by the junta to win acceptance of its self-declared caretaker government. The abbot spoke to Soe San Aung of RFA’s Myanmar Service about his arrest, detention, release, and the political crisis in the country. Following are excerpts of the interview, edited for length and clarity:
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Citizen journalist
Five unidentified bodies have been discovered in Myanmar’s remote Sagaing region, days after junta troops arrested several people in the area, a scene of heavy fighting for months, and two weeks after villagers found more than a dozen corpses left to rot in a nearby forest.
Residents of Kani township told RFA’s Myanmar Service that the body of a man was discovered hanging from a tree in a forest outside of the town center on Tuesday and that a closer investigation revealed four graves containing the remains of what they believe are at least 10 people.
“The bodies were found on Tuesday. A man was also found hanging from a tree with a noose around his neck. The victim was over 60 years old,” one resident said, speaking on condition of anonymity, citing fear of reprisal.
AFP
Violent political conflict since the February military coup and a deadly third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic have pummeled Myanmar’s economy, with the World Bank predicting a double-digit contraction of GDP this year and many urban residents struggling with shrinking incomes and rising food prices.
The military ouster of the country’s elected civilian-led government nearly six months ago came after a year of business and travel lockdowns to prevent the spread of the pandemic had hobbled the country’s $75 billion economy.
The Feb. 1 coup d’état brought widespread anti-military protests and walkouts by civil servants and white-collar workers that were met with military violence, killing more than 900 civilians.
Citizen journalist
Families stricken with COVID-19 are hoisting flags above their homes in Myanmar’s most populated cities to solicit much-needed donations during a third wave of the coronavirus that critics say has been poorly mismanaged by the military regime.
Aid groups and volunteers launched the campaign on social media in recent days, calling on needy families quarantining because of an infected loved one to display the flags white for food and yellow for medication so that they know where to donate supplies.
The campaign, which allows for groups to anonymously assist households, comes after authorities began arresting social activists and healthcare volunteers in an entrapment scheme involving false requests for aid, sources told RFA’s Myanmar Service.
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