In myanmar a direct assault on the countrys transition to democracy. The countrys armed forces seized power, detaining civilian leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, and her top advisers. The takeover follows a Landslide Win by her National League for democracy in novembers election, which the army claims was fraudulent. Myanmar, also known as burma, was ruled by the military until 2011. Democratic reforms by Aung San Suu Kyi ended their control. Troops are being said to be patrolling the streets of the capital and the main city yangon. Now her leadership and reputation has been once hailed as a beacon of democracy she was awarded the nobel peace prize. Her leadership has been tarnished by looking at the Rate Map Working alongside the army. Alongside the army. Muslim rohingya minority. But she still enjoys great support throughout the country. Our special correspondent fergal keane reports. tx next this. An army reverting to autocratic type, swiftly and ruthlessly deposing a democratically elected leader. Somewhere behind the guns, Aung San Suu Kyi is once more a prisoner of the generals. And even if people never trusted the military, theyre still shocked at whats happened. Translation the army assaulted i people as it carried out a coup i on the civilian government elected by our people. Our country is just a Bird Learning to fly. Now the army has broken our wings. I am surprised and shaken. I fear that prices will rise and people will revolt. I hope that Aung San Suu Kyi and her colleagues will be freed sooner rather than later. The crisis began when suu kyis party won a Landslide Victory in elections last november. That win may have convinced the military that their hold on key Security Ministries the root of real power here was threatened. This was their response, relayed to the public on state television. Allegations of Election Fraud from an army notorious for its human rights abuses. Therell be a State Of Emergency for a year, with Limitless Powers to detain political enemies. This is the husband of one woman mp asking the soldiers what they want. His wife is taken away in one of the numerous dawn raids. Expect them to escalate. The coup has an air of dark familiarity. For decades, the military has tried to maintain a monopoly of power. This was in 1995, when Aung San Suu Kyi was released after her first six years of house arrest. The woman i met then was a Global Human Rights icon. I think i became more political after i was put under house arrest than before, because once i was under house arrest, i became totally a political animal. Because this was my whole existence. But human rights would eventually come second to politics. Three years ago, by now sharing power with the military, Aung San Suu Kyi defended generals accused of genocide against the rohingya muslims, even appearing for the defence at a War Crimes Trial in the hague. Do you ever worry that you will be remembered as the champion of human rights, the nobel laureate, who failed to stand up to Ethnic Cleansing in her own country . No, because i dont think theres Ethnic Cleansing going on. For western powers, the issue isnt about a personality, but the principle of democracy in myanmar. And tonight, President Biden threatened renewed sanctions on the military. But he needs chinese support, and thats far from assured, given the competition for regional influence between beijing and washington, and chinas long standing support for the generals. The armys supporters were on the streets today, but the cheers wont echo for long. Ahead lies deepening isolation, perilous uncertainty. Fergal keane, bbc news. Our correspondent Barbara Plett usher told me more about how the Biden Administration is poised to respond to the coup. What it has mostly been talking about is the possibility of sanctions. Although it depends on really what kind of sanctions youre talking about. In recent years there have been targeted sanctions placed against military leaders because of this campaign against the muslims. Of course you remember the americans had a pretty sweeping economic embargo during those decades of military rule. They began to lift that in phases when the tradition to democracy started in 2011. Mr biden seems to be referring to the possibility of restoring that type of sanctions. He said hes called for a review and hes going to take action appropriately. Thats something that hes keeping open as a possibility. He would need the support of the International Community if he wants to effectively isolate the generals. How could all of this effect overall power in that region . Particularly that region is by china . Its an interesting question. This is probably the first real test of mr biden china policy. He will undoubtedly try to bring beijing along in his efforts to pressure the generals. But that will be difficult because china is a key ally, historic ally. Its a remaining economic partner has strategic interest in the region for the rabbits had a pretty muted response so far said something to the effect that we hope that they can solve this problem internally. Mr biden has said that he wants to try and curb chinas influence by collaborating with allies and putting up a stronger front. He has called for an international response. Thats also tricky because in the past when there have been periods of International Isolation thats when chinas relationship with the generals has grown closer. In previous periods of detention she was a Human Rights Icon in the west. In this new period of detention she has a much more troubling record for the west. Will this change the way that western governments campaign for her or . When she took power there was a recognition here that she had to share it with the generals because the generals didnt relinquish their power. There was acknowledgement here that she was walking a fine line. Then when she ended up the pending the Rohingya Campaign her reputation here was tarnished just like it was elsewhere. The Us Government has taken generally a broad approach to myanmar on this. Talked about protecting the transition to democracy. They havent specifically called her out although some officials who had formerly been a government had formerly been a government had but not the government itself was up in this case they have focused on talking about releasing those arrested and the generals pushing power. They havent spoken about whether this would change, how they view or relate to her. Theres growing concern among health experts, about the south African Variant of coronavirus, after random checks found a number of cases in the uk, which could not be linked to international travel. The Health Secretary for england matt hancock, said authorities across would have to � Come Down Hard on the variant. Door to door testing will be carried out in the affected areas. Our Health Editor hugh pym has the latest. New Mobile Testing for units have moved into some parts of england. Part of the drive to track the spread of the south African Variant of the virus. All this after a handful of cases were discovered that could not be linked to arrivals from south africa or other countries was up around 80,000 people all at age 16 and over most of South East England and one in the West Midlands have been asked to take tests regardless of symptoms. Positive cases will be analysed to see if they are caused by the variant. Iii to see if they are caused by the variant. 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Officials say the variant doesnt make people sicker than the original strain but it spread fast. And thats what they want to stop. President Biden Hasjust finished meeting biden has just finished meeting a Biden Hasjust finished meeting a group of senators to discuss his plan for the covert relief package. Susan collins beacon for the group is called the meeting a very good exchange. It comes as mr biden weighs up whether to negotiate a compromise of force through his proposals using the democrats wafer thin majority in congress was our President Biden wants to push through his sweeping 1. 9 trillion Similars Package to get the comedy moving again. But the republicans are proposing an alternative of providing a much smaller 618 billion thats less than a third the size of the president s plan. Third the size of the president s plan. Daniel lippman is a white house reporterfor politico. He sastoe biden will try first for a bi partisan agreement on the stimulous package, before forcing anything through. Joe biden was a Previous Senate moderate before he was the Vice President for the Obama Administration for sub he really believes in bipartisanship. Of the countries become more polarised over those years sense. And republicans feel like they dont want to spend 2 trillion in democrats feel like if they can pass this through whats reconciliation where they dont need republican votes than they want to do that. They feel like they have to meet the size of they have to meet the size of the crisis with enough money to get the economy moving again. So the republicans are going to say to slash the plan and hes going to say no . Going to say no . Yeah. And there will going to say no . Yeah. And there will be going to say no . Yeah. And there will be some going to say no . Yeah. And there will be some effort i going to say no . Yeah. And there will be some effort toj there will be some effort to meet in the middle. But democrats are not gonna wait forever to have this new stimulus plan. They feel like president trump, former president trump, former President Drum and the senate took way too much time last year to pass whats called phase four of pandemic relief of the those 600 checks. They think that American Families are really struggling and they need to get cash immediately, almost. , ~ need to get cash immediately, almost. ~. , ~ almost. Talking about American Families, what almost. Talking about American Families, what would almost. Talking about American Families, what would be almost. Talking about American Families, what would be the i families, what would be the difference between the american republican proposed plans of the president joe proposed plan . The president joe proposed ian . , �. , plan . Resident biden has proposed plan . Resident biden has proposed 1400 plan . Resident biden has proposed 1400 checks i plan . Resident biden has. Proposed 1400 checks for plan . Resident biden has proposed 1400 checks for many americans. And what the republicans have proposed our 1000 checks. But only people who are making 50,000 or 100,000 would actually get that money. Under President Biden the pool of people actually getting Government Checks would be much bigger. And would not include millionaires but the pool would be significantly larger. That would help the economy more than this republican plan. But my bet is that youre probably talking maybe 1200 checks because there are Senate Moderates who dont want to spend 2 trillion. Spend 2 trillion. President biden prides spend 2 trillion. President biden prides himself spend 2 trillion. President biden prides himself on i spend 2 trillion. President i biden prides himself on being able to work with senators. He was a senator himself for three orfour was a senator himself for three or four decades. Was a senator himself for three orfour decades. Is he right to have confidence in his own abilities . Have confidence in his own abilities . ~ ,. , � ~. , abilities . We ust dont know et. Abilities . We ust dont know yet. Because abilities . We just dont know yet. Because hes abilities . We just dont know yet. Because hes only i abilities . We just dont know yet. Because hes only been| yet. Because hes only been president for less than ten days, more than ten days. He has not proved that he can actually be a bipartisan leader. But he feels like its important to give it a shake. And this is his first meeting with members of congress. Its very significant that hes meeting with republicans before hes even met the Senate Democrats leaders are house democrats. That kind of is the first test that he wants to give it a Good College Try and see if the republicans are going to negotiate in good faith. ,. ,. , faith. Does he have more in common faith. Does he have more in common with faith. 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