Than 90 Killed in Myanmar in One of Bloodiest Days
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WITHOUT F EAR OR FAVOUR Nepal’s largest selling English daily Vol XXIX No. 38 | 8 pages | Rs.5 O O Printed simultaneously in Kathmandu, Biratnagar, Bharatpur and Nepalgunj 35.4 C 1.9 C Sunday, March 28, 2021 | 15-12-2077 Janakpur Jumla More than 90 killed in Myanmar in one of As controversy over bloodiest days of protests since military coup Constitutional Council continues, recruitment in state agencies is hit Office bearers of Public Service Commission retired last week. With the ordinance on Council challenged in court and bill stuck in House, new appointments can’t be made. ANIL GIRI lawmaker Laxman Lal Karna KATHMANDU, MARCH 27 told the Post. “We have also not heard anything While a case related to the controver- from the government side.” sial amendment to the Constitutional According to legal and constitution- Council Act in December is at the al experts, if the ordinance tabled Supreme Court, the positions of the in the House failed to get authenticat- chair and members of the Public ed within 60 days, the ordinance Service Commission, the constitution- will be void. al body mandated to recruit employ- Besides, two separate cases have ees in the bureaucracy, govern- been filed in the Supreme Court ment-owned companies, security against the amendment. agencies and other federal offices As per the amendment, the Council remain vacant. can hold its meeting in the presence of With the retirement of the chair the majority of its members to make Umesh Prasad Mainali and members the recommendations to the President Brinda Hada, Ashok Jha, Brahmadev for appointments in constitutional Yadav and Krishna Jha last week, the bodies whereas the previous provi- recruitment of essential staff to the sions of Act stated that five of the six commission is on hold. members must be present for the But the Constitutional Council is meeting to convene. not in a position to make appoint- Following the amendment in ments immediately. December, the Council met with In December, Prime Minister KP Prime Minister Oli as chair, and Sharma Oli’s Cabinet amended the Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher Constitutional Council Act (Functions, Rana and National Assembly Duties and Procedures) 2010 through Chairman Ganesh Timilsina as its an ordinance and it is now in members. The leader of the opposi- Parliament for approval. tion and Nepali Congress President But it has not yet been put to vote Sher Bahadur Deuba and Speaker of as the opposition parties—Nepali the House of Representatives Agni AP/RSS Congress and the Janata Samajbadi Sapkota were not present at the meet- Demonstrators hurl back tear gas canisters towards police during a protest against the military coup on Saturday, in Mandalay, Myanmar. Party—are against the amendment ing. Since there is no deputy Speaker to the Act. there are only five members in the INSIDE “Our opposition [to the amendment] Council. The deaths take the number of civilians reported killed since February 1 to over 400. continues,” Janata Samajbadi Party >> Continued on page 2 Data collection for national ID REUTERS without giving any time-frame. YANGON, MARCH 27 “The army seeks to join hands with card distribution hits snag the entire nation to safeguard democ- KATHMANDU: The Covid-19 pandemic Security forces killed more than 90 racy,” he said in a live broadcast on has emerged as a setback for the plan people across Myanmar on Saturday state television. “Violent acts that to collect personal details of 10 mil- in one of the bloodiest days of protests affect stability and security in order to lion people for the National since a military coup last month, news make demands are inappropriate.” Identification Cards with the govern- reports and witnesses said. The military has said it took power ment admitting that the details of The lethal crackdown came on because November elections won by less than half the targeted population Armed Forces Day. Senior General Aung San Suu Kyi’s party were fraud- could be collected by the end of the Min Aung Hlaing, the junta leader, ulent, an assertion dismissed by the current fiscal year. In the first phase, said during a parade in the capital country’s election commission. the government had planned to col- Naypyitaw to mark the event that the Suu Kyi, the elected leader and lect personal details of 10 million peo- military would protect the people and the country’s most popular civilian ple in 38 districts and distribute strive for democracy. politician, remains in detention at an national IDs to them. “We can now State television had said on Friday undisclosed location. Many other fig- collect details of only 4.4.5 million that protesters risked being shot “in ures in her party are also being held people in the current fiscal year if the head and back”. Despite this, dem- in custody. the emerging threat of the second onstrators against the February 1 In its warning on Friday evening, wave of coronavirus crisis does not coup came out on the streets of state television said protesters were hit the country,” said Jitendra Yangon, Mandalay and other towns. “in danger of getting shot to the head Basnet, director general at the The Myanmar Now news portal said and back”. It did not specifically say Department of National ID and Civil 91 people were killed across the coun- security forces had been given shoot- Registration. (Details on Pg 3) try by security forces. to-kill orders and the junta has previ- A boy reported by local media to be ously suggested some fatal shootings as young as five was among at least 29 have come from within the crowds. Spurred by lockdown, Spain people killed in Mandalay. At least 24 International pressure on the junta gives 4-day week a try people were killed in Yangon, increased this week with new US and MADRID: After years of waiting tables, Myanmar Now said. “Today is a day of European sanctions. But Russia’s dep- Danae De Vries is one step closer to shame for the armed forces,” Dr Sasa, uty defence minister Alexander achieving her lifetime dream of a spokesman for CRPH, an anti-junta Fomin attended the parade in becoming a theatre coach. Ironically, group set up by deposed lawmakers, Naypyitaw, having met senior junta she owes that to the pandemic. It was told an online forum. leaders a day earlier. after last year’s brutal lockdown that Meanwhile, one of Myanmar’s two “Russia is a true friend,” Min Aung shut the Spanish economy down for dozen ethnic armed groups, the Karen Hlaing said. weeks that the owners of a small res- National Union, said it had overrun Diplomats said eight countries— taurant chain in Madrid offered De an army post near the Thai border, Russia, China, India, Pakistan, Vries to cut her weekly work sched- killing 10 people—including a lieuten- Bangladesh, Vietnam, Laos and ule by one day. Already struggling to ant colonel—and losing one of its own Thailand—sent representatives, but make ends meet in a city that has fighters. A military spokesman did Russia was the only one to send a min- seen rental prices spiral, the 28-year- not respond to calls seeking comment ister. Support from Russia and China, old was hesitant at first — and then on the killings by security forces or which has also refrained from criti- enthusiastic when she was told her the insurgent attack on its post. cism, is important for the junta as wages would remain untouched. “They are killing us like birds or those two countries are permanent “Now I have time to work, to see my chickens, even in our homes,” said members of the United Nations family and friends, and to find Thu Ya Zaw in the central town of Security Council and can block poten- enough time to study,” she said. Myingyan, where at least two protest- tial UN actions. (Details on Pg 5) ers were killed. “We will keep protest- Armed Forces Day commemorates ing regardless... We must fight until the start of the resistance to Japanese the junta falls.” occupation in 1945 that was orches- Nepal through to final after The deaths on Saturday would take trated by Suu Kyi’s father, the founder the number of civilians reported of the military. goalless stalemate against killed since the coup to well over 400. Gunshots hit the US cultural centre Bangladesh “This 76th Myanmar armed forces in Yangon on Saturday, but nobody KATHMANDU: Hosts Nepal played a 0-0 day will stay engraved as a day of ter- was hurt and the incident was being stalemate against Bangladesh in the ror and dishonour,” the EU delegation investigated, US Embassy spokesper- final group match of the Three to Myanmar said. “The killings of son Aryani Manring said. Nations Cup at the Dasharath unarmed civilians, including chil- Protesters have taken to the streets Stadium on Saturday to set up the dren, are indefensible acts.” almost daily since the coup that title decider against the same South News reports said there were derailed Myanmar’s slow transition to Asian opponents. Bangladesh, who deaths in the central Sagaing region, democracy. had already booked final spot after a Lashio in the east, in the Bago region, General Yawd Serk, chair of the 1-0 win over Kyrgyzstan U-23, topped near Yangon, and elsewhere. A one- Restoration Council of Shan State/ the group with four points after a win year-old baby was hit in the eye with a Shan State Army—South, one of the and a draw. Nepal secured two points, rubber bullet. ethnic armies in the country, told one more than the central Asian In Naypyitaw, Min Aung Hlaing reit- Reuters in neighbouring Thailand: “If country, to finish runners up.