Myanmar military coup half a year crackdown and spread of infection deepen confusion

It's been half a year since the military coup d'etat in Myanmar.

In addition to the continued increase in deaths due to military crackdowns on resisting civilians, the spread of the new coronavirus infection continues to deepen confusion.

In Myanmar, the NLD = National League for Democracy, led by Aung San Suu Kyi, won the general election last November, but the military caused a coup d'etat in February because the election was fraudulent, and it took half a year in one day. It becomes.

Citizens continue to sporadically repeat guerrilla-like demonstrations in various parts of the country, and medical personnel and civil servants continue to disobedience their duties to abandon their duties, resisting military rule.

On the other hand, the military has continued to crack down on it, and according to local human rights groups, 940 people have died and 5444 people have been detained by the 31st.

In addition, battles between civilians with weapons such as guns and the military have also occurred in various places, and there have been multiple reports by local media that the civilians have been killed in large numbers.

On the other hand, the infection of the new coronavirus has been spreading rapidly recently, and according to the announcement by the health authorities, an average of more than 4,500 new infections are confirmed every day for the month of July, and in July. The death toll has reached 6000.

However, the actual number of infections and deaths is expected to far exceed the authorities' announcement, as the percentage of positives in the limited number of tests exceeds 40% on high days. I'm telling you.

As the turmoil continued after the coup d'etat, the fragile medical system was in a state of collapse, many patients were forced to receive medical treatment at home, and there was a serious shortage of medical oxygen. It is a situation where long lines such as family members are formed.

In addition, more bodies than can be accommodated are brought into the crematorium every day.

In Myanmar, the confusion is only getting deeper due to the deepening conflict between the military and the citizens and the spread of the new coronavirus infection in Myanmar.

The military emphasizes legitimacy, but the scene is in a state of medical collapse

As the infection of the new coronavirus spreads, the Myanmar military is promoting infection control every day by reporting on the state of vaccination and the procurement of oxygen used for treating patients through state television.

In addition, the video that Commander Min Aung Hlaing himself attended the countermeasures meeting for the new coronavirus was reported, and that vaccines were secured from Russia and China, and that vaccine production plans were underway in Myanmar. It seems that there is an aim to show the legitimacy of the post-coup d'etat through the media, such as the introduction of.

On the other hand, the medical system is weak in the field, and after the coup d'etat, medical personnel participated in the CDM = civil disobedience movement and were chased by the military, and the number of infected people increased rapidly and medical care collapsed. It is in.

According to medical personnel, some people are volunteering for treatment, but they cannot procure enough medicines and medical devices, and their activities are limited.

Under these circumstances, criticism of the military is increasing due to a series of comments on SNS such as "The military cannot prevent the spread of infection" and "The situation has worsened due to the coup d'etat."

A man who lost his mother in Corona

A 26-year-old man in Yangon, who lost his mother, responded to NHK's interview as the infection spread rapidly.

The man's mother's condition deteriorated rapidly after the onset on June 24, but the man was unable to procure enough oxygen.

By the time I was finally hospitalized, my lungs had already become inflamed and I died on July 12.

The man said, "Patients forced to recuperate at home are in a state of waiting for death at home because they cannot get oxygen. We no longer expect anything from anyone."

Economic turmoil spreads Eggs are talked about and prices soar

In Myanmar, after a military coup d'etat, logistics and financial services have stagnated, and the rapid spread of the new coronavirus infection has further widened economic turmoil.

In the largest city, Yangon, the price of eggs rose sharply in mid-July, and at supermarkets in the city, the price jumped to more than double the usual price.

It seems that the number of people who buy eggs has increased rapidly due to the spread of stories such as "If you eat a lot of eggs, you will be less likely to get infected" through SNS etc., and there are a number of stores that sell out eggs.

Egg prices continued to be high, with more than 100 people lining up at the stalls in Yangon, which sell eggs cheaply.

In such a situation, the military is eager to alleviate public anxiety by publishing a list of ingredients such as beans and potatoes that can replace eggs on state television.

The World Bank said that the outlook for Myanmar's economy was "the number of unemployed is increasing due to political instability and the spread of infection, and the number of poor people is increasing rapidly." We anticipate a significant drop of%.

Expectations for ASEAN are rising, but no path can be seen

Regarding the situation in Myanmar, the gap between Europe and the United States, which insists on strengthening sanctions on Myanmar at the UN Security Council, and China and Russia, which are negative to sanctions, has not been filled, and the Myanmar military refused to accept the UN special envoy. Therefore, UN-led mediation is considered difficult.

The ASEAN = Association of Southeast Asian Nations is gathering the expectations of the international community to resolve the situation.

In April, ASEAN held a summit-level meeting, attended by the top of the Myanmar military, Commander Min Aung Hlaing, and ASEAN's special envoy to mediate the immediate suspension of violence and dialogue between the military and democratic forces. We agreed on five items such as dispatch.

However, the Myanmar military has shown a negative attitude toward the prompt implementation of the agreement and continues to crack down on its citizens.

Regarding the ASEAN special envoy, in June, the ASEAN side presented candidates for the special envoy to the military, and according to diplomatic sources, the selection of personnel is being solidified, but the Myanmar military said, "Accepting the special envoy after the domestic situation has stabilized. It is unpredictable whether or not to actually accept it.

There is widespread impatience among ASEAN member states that the future path cannot be seen even three months after the agreement, and they are calling on Japan, the United States, China, etc. to support the realization of the agreement. increase.

Expert "Infection spread is unexpected"

Yoshihiro Nakanishi, an associate professor at the Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University, who is familiar with Myanmar politics, said that the infection of the new coronavirus is becoming more serious in Myanmar. However, after the coup d'etat, the people who were actually responsible for infection control participated in the resistance movement, and the countermeasures became vulnerable. Therefore, it was not possible to respond to the spread of the infection this time, and medical collapse has occurred. It will be. "

"As for the measures against the new corona, the military is changing to a policy of demanding the active involvement of the international community, judging that it cannot respond to the current situation. However, distrust of the international community, especially in Europe and the United States, is still persistent. The path of dialogue remains closed. "

On that basis, regarding the ASEAN-Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which is said to hold the key to overcoming the situation, "In April, ASEAN agreed to send a special envoy to Myanmar as an intermediary, but there was no progress and we were prepared for a long-term war. Now, in order to save as many lives as possible, it is our top priority to promote humanitarian assistance through international organizations. "

Regarding Japan's role, he said, "For the past six months, it was a wait-and-see approach with a view to the possibility that the situation would improve, but there is a long way to go toward reconciliation between political powers." "It is time to reorganize the future Myanmar policy, considering the national interests of Japan and the interests of the people of Myanmar, as well as the geopolitical balance with China in mind," said the Japanese government on the situation in Myanmar. Expected to be involved in the long term.