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world news Diaranson 7 aPriL 2021

Myanmar forces arrest comedian, break up doctors’ protest

(AP) — Authorities in Thingyan celebrations, say- borne the brunt of the junta’s
Myanmar arrested the ing it would be disrespectful military assaults.
country’s best-known co- to “fallen martyrs” to enjoy The area where the Karen
median on Tuesday as the festival. National Union holds sway
they continue to crack The leaders of Brunei and has been subject to air at-
down on people they ac- Malaysia announced Monday tacks by the Myanmar mili-
cuse of helping incite na- that leaders of the Associa- tary from March 27 through
tionwide protests against tion of Southeast Asian Na- Monday, said David Eubank
February’s military coup. tions will meet to discuss the of the Free Burma Rangers,
situation in Myanmar. a humanitarian organization
The comedian Zarganar was No date was given in the an- that has for many years pro-
taken from his home in Yan- nouncement, issued during vided medical assistance to
gon by police and soldiers a visit by Malaysian Prime Karen villagers. Burma is an-
who arrived in two army ve- Minister Muhyiddin Yas- other name for Myanmar.
hicles, fellow comedian Nge- sin to Brunei. He and Sul- Eubank said his group has
pyawkyaw said on his own tan Hassanal Bolkiah said verified that 14 civilians
Facebook page. Zarganar, 60, they “expressed serious con- died and more than 40 were
is a sharp-tongued satirist cern on the ongoing crisis wounded in the air strikes.
who has been in and out of in Myanmar and the rising He said Tuesday that Myan-
prison since he was active in numerous reports on social bikes. The online news site number of fatalities.” Indo- mar’s military is mounting a
a failed 1988 popular uprising media. The Irrawaddy reported that nesian President Joko Widido ground offensive into Karen
against a previous military In Mandalay, the country’s four doctors were arrested. had proposed a summit on territory, driving villagers
dictatorship. He is also well second-biggest city, security At least 570 protesters and Myanmar last month. from their homes and in-
known for his social work, forces used stun grenades bystanders, including 47 There was no word on creasing the number of dis-
especially arranging assis- and fired guns Tuesday to children, have been killed in whether the ASEAN leaders placed people in the area to
tance for victims of Cyclone break up a march by medical the crackdown since the take- would participate in person more than 20,000, many of
Nargis in 2008. workers who have defiantly over, according to the Assis- or by video, or if Myanmar, whom have to hide in caves
continued to protest almost tance Association for Political one of the group’s 10 mem- or the jungle and are in des-
In the past week, the junta every day against the Feb. 1 Prisoners, which monitors bers, would attend. perate need of food and other
has issued arrest warrants for coup that ousted the elected casualties and arrests. The Myanmar’s junta also has necessities.
about 100 people active in the government of Aung San Suu group says 2,728 people, in- been battling in some border “The situation now seems,
fields of literature, film, the- Kyi. The army’s takeover set cluding Suu Kyi, are in de- areas where ethnic minority from our perspective, to be
ater arts, music and journal- back Myanmar’s gradual re- tention. groups maintain their own all-out war to the finish,”
ism on charges of spreading turn to democracy after five armed forces. Several ma- Eubank wrote Monday in
information that undermines decades of military rule. Activists have begun organiz- jor groups, most notably the an emailed message. “Un-
the stability of the country A participant who asked to ing a boycott of next week’s Karen and the Kachin, have less there is a miracle, the
and the rule of law. It was remain anonymous for his official celebration of Thing- expressed solidarity with the Burma Army will not hold
not immediately clear what own safety told The Associ- yan, the country’s traditional anti-coup movement and back in their attempt to crush
Zarganar, whose real name ated Press that doctors, nurs- New Year, usually a time for vowed to protect protesters the Karen and any other eth-
is Maung Thura, has been es and medical students were family reunions and merry- in the territory they control. nic group that stands against
charged with. attacked as they gathered making. The Kachin in the country’s them, just as they have not
Many ordinary protesters at about 5 a.m. by security In leaflets and social me- north have engaged in com- held back killing their own
and activists are also being ar- forces who also used cars to dia posts, they are implor- bat with government forces, Burman people in the cities
rested every day, according to run into protesters on motor- ing people not to hold any but the Karen in the east have and plains of Burma.”

Russian FM in Pakistan, Afghan talks to dominate agenda

(AP) — Russia’s foreign istry statement. “We look for- gotiations in Qatar between
minister arrived Tuesday ward to an early finding of a the Taliban and the Afghan
in Pakistan for a two-day constructive solution in or- government have stalled.
visit expected to focus on der to end the civil war in the Lavrov heads a 13-mem-
efforts to bring peace to Islamic Republic of Afghani- ber delegation that includes
neighboring Afghanistan. stan through agreements on Moscow’s special representa-
the formation of an inclusive tive for Afghanistan, Zamir
Sergey Lavrov’s visit comes government with the partici- Kabulov. Russia has intensi-
as a May 1 deadline for U.S. pation of the Taliban move- fied efforts to interject itself
troops to leave Afghanistan ment.” as a key player in the peace
in line with a deal Washing- The U.S. has accelerated ef- push and last month, Mos-
ton signed a year ago with the forts to get a peace deal for cow hosted Taliban and Af-
Taliban seems increasingly Afghanistan but is also seek- ghan government officials for
unlikely. ing a three- to six-month a one-day meeting.
“A common concern is the extension of the troop with- Following a 10-year occupa-
situation in Afghanistan,” drawal deadline amid repeat- tion and thousands of soldiers President Najibullah, who which last year was nearly
said a Russian Foreign Min- ed statements from President who died in Afghanistan, the used only one name, fell to $800 million, a lot of that in
Joe Biden that America wants Soviets negotiated their exit the mujahedeen. Russian wheat.
to end its longest war. from Afghanistan in Febru- Lavrov’s visit to Pakistan is Russia’s top diplomat arrived
The Taliban have warned ary, 1989. The exit came af- the first by a Russian foreign from India. While in Paki-
against overstepping the ter so-called proximity talks minister in nine years. Paki- stan, Lavrov will meet Prime
deadline and threatened between Afghanistan’s com- stan’s Foreign Minister Shah Minister Imran Khan, who
more attacks including an munist government and the Mahmood Qureshi said in recently recovered from CO-
end to a moratorium on at- U.S.-backed mujahedeen, a video statement Tuesday VID-19, as well as Pakistan’s
tacks against U.S. and NATO many of whom are now in that the visit is indicative of powerful army chief, Gen.
troops. the Taliban, while others are a closer relationship between Qamar Javed Bajwa.
Afghanistan has seen a na- warlords linked to the Kabul the two countries. “Pakistan and Russia are
tionwide spike in bombings, government. The Russian ministry state- working together in the Af-
targeted killings, and violence Three years later the pro- ment said the visit will also ghan peace process,” Qureshi
on the battlefield as peace ne- Moscow government led by focus on bilateral trade, said in the video statement.