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Myanmar

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Myanmar junta pardons 2,153 prisoners jailed for dissent against military

Myanmar’s junta announced on May 11 that over 2,000 prisoners, including protesters and activists, had been pardoned under a law that carries a maximum three-year jail term. The military has arrested thousands of dissidents since it seized power more than two years ago. Those who re-offend will have to serve the remainder of their sentence with an additional penalty. Wednesday’s announcement comes as Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang is visiting for talks with the junta, amid several Beijing-backed infrastructure projects slated to run through northern Myanmar.

Former UN chief Ban Ki-moon in Myanmar: state media

Former UN chief Ban Ki-moon has arrived in Myanmar amid escalating conflict in the country, according to state media. Diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis stemming from the 2021 military coup have failed, with the military continuing to crack down on dissent and refusing to engage with opponents. Ban is a member of The Elders, a group of world leaders founded by Nelson Mandela. He has previously visited Myanmar several times, with varying levels of success negotiating with the military junta.

HRW urges Bangladesh to halt Rohingya repatriation plan

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called for Bangladesh to halt its plan to repatriate Rohingya refugees to Myanmar, citing the risks they would face upon return. A delegation from Myanmar’s military regime recently visited Bangladesh to interview potential candidates for return, but HRW warns that any return to Myanmar would put the lives and liberty of refugees “at grave risk” due to the ongoing military junta’s massacres around the country.

Myanmar junta dissolves Suu Kyi party

Myanmar’s junta has dissolved Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party for failing to re-register under a new military-drafted electoral law. The military had claimed widespread fraud in the 2020 elections won by the NLD, which led to the coup. Out of 90 parties, only 50 applied to re-register, and the rest will be dissolved. The rules stipulate that parties must mobilize at least 100,000 members within 90 days and open offices in at least half of the country’s townships within 180 days. The NLD has been the torchbearer of democratic aspirations in Myanmar, and its leadership has been decimated in the junta’s violent crackdown.

Myanmar junta chief vows continued crackdown, then elections

Myanmar’s junta chief vowed to continue the crackdown on opponents and insisted the military would hold elections, despite admitting it did not control enough territory to allow a vote. The putsch sparked renewed fighting with ethnic rebels and birthed dozens of anti-junta “People’s Defence Forces” (PDFs), with swathes of the country now ravaged by fighting and the economy in tatters. More than 3,100 people have been killed in the military’s crackdown on dissent since the coup, according to a local monitoring group.

Myanmar’s displaced dig to safety from junta air strikes

In Myanmar’s Kayah state, displaced people live in a makeshift camp and build bunkers to protect themselves from junta shelling and air raids. With more than 90,000 people currently displaced, the military is resorting to artillery strikes and air power in its struggle to crush resistance to its rule.