More and more residents of Yangon, Myanmar’s largest city, have fled the city due to the ongoing violence in the country. Civilians flee to smaller cities, the countryside and areas near the Thai and Indian borders, fearing the actions of the military, which last month staged a coup.
In recent days, a large exodus from the metropolis of Yangon has started, according to NOS correspondent Annemarie Kas. “Many of the workers in the city are originally from other parts of the country. They are now returning to that.”
Hundreds to thousands of refugees are also migrating to the border with Thailand, which has announced that it wants to receive them. The governor of the Thai border region Tak says he can receive about 30,000 to 50,000 refugees.
Agents refuse orders
A group of Myanmar police officers have also fled the country because they refuse to follow orders from the army, various international media report. From India they open a book about the grim situation in Myanmar. “We refused to hurt our people, so we fled.”
The refugees say to the AP and BBC news agency, among others, that they were forced to shoot all opponents of the army. “Even when it came to your own family members.”
“We have left everything behind and have no idea what will happen to our family,” say the officers. Contact with the home front is not possible, because the telephone network has largely been shut down. They fear that their family will be attacked in reprisal for the desertion of the agents.
Incidentally, it is not possible to check whether the police officers’ claims are correct, because independent journalists cannot do their work in Myanmar. But the stories match images and eyewitness accounts from Myanmar.
BBC journalist missing
After the military coup d’état and the arrest of government leader Aung San Suu Kyi, massive protests erupted in several cities in Myanmar. Order troops acted in this getting louder and fired live ammunition at the protesters. At least 220 people were killed.
Today alone, at least eight protesters have been killed by security forces. Journalists have also been arrested again, including one BBC journalist. Refugee MPs call on the International Criminal Court in The Hague to start an investigation into war crimes in Myanmar.
The massive protests are now a thing of the past, correspondent Annemarie Kas told NPO Radio 1. “This is the result of the crackdown by the army, which has increased fear enormously.” Only young fanatics still take to the streets.
For some time now nothing has been heard of the arrested Suu Kyi. She may have to face another trial next week. “She is charged with all kinds of charges, such as the illegal import of walkie-talkies or corruption.” The country’s elected leader will not be released for the time being, Kas expects.
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