The UN Human Rights Office on Sunday condemned escalating violence against protesters in Myanmar, calling on the country’s military junta to immediately halt the use of force.

“We strongly condemn the escalating violence against protests in Myanmar and call on the military to immediately halt the use of force against peaceful protestors,” Ravina Shamdasani, the office’s spokeswoman, said in a statement.

Shamdasani said the UN Human Rights office has credible information that the use of force left at least 18 people dead and over 30 others wounded in protests against the Feb. 1 coup.

“Throughout the day, in several locations throughout the country, police and military forces have confronted peaceful demonstrations, using lethal force and less-than-lethal force,” she added.

Deaths reportedly occurred due to live ammunition fired into crowds in Yangon, Dawei, Mandalay, Myeik, Bago, and Pokokku.

According to witnesses and local media, anti-coup demonstrators were met with tear gas, rubber bullets, and stun grenades as police and soldiers intensified a crackdown on a campaign against the recent military coup in the Southeast Asian country.

“The people of Myanmar have the right to assemble peacefully and demand the restoration of democracy,” said Shamdasani.

“These fundamental rights must be respected by the military and police, not met with violent and bloody repression.”

The UN rights office said that lethal force against non-violent demonstrators is never justifiable under international human rights norms.

“Since the beginning of the coup d’état in Myanmar on 1 February, the police and security forces have targeted an ever-increasing number of opposition voices and demonstrators by arresting political officials, activists, civil society members, journalists, and medical professionals,” said Shamdasani.

On Sunday alone, police detained at least 85 medical professionals and students and seven journalists present at the demonstrations.

More than 1,000 individuals have been arbitrarily arrested and detained in the country, and some of them remain unaccounted for.

The rights office reiterated its call for the immediate release of all those arbitrarily detained, including members of the democratically elected government.

“The international community must stand in solidarity with the protestors and all those seeking a return to democracy in Myanmar,” said Shamdasani./aa

Dozens were injured on Sunday as Bangladeshi police dispersed opposition activists protesting over the death of a writer in jail, and the government's decision to revoke a state title of a former president, a party official said.

Ziaur Rahman, the founder of the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), was awarded in 1973 the title of Bir Uttom (Valiant Hero), the second highest award for individual gallantry in Bangladesh, for his services in the country's independence war with Pakistan.

The government led by Awami League's Sheikh Hasina says Zia was involved in the assassination of Bangladesh's founding father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, a claim the opposition denies.

The National Freedom Fighter Council made the decision earlier this month, which will be effective when the Liberation War Affairs Ministry issues a gazette notification.

The demonstrators were also protesting the recent death of writer Mushtaq Ahmed, who was denied bail at least six times. He was detained under controversial digital security laws critics say are used to crush dissent.

Both local and international rights groups have demanded a probe into the death.

Hundreds of activists of the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD), the student wing of the BNP, gathered outside the capital's National Press Club, but the police fired rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse them.

Deputy Commissioner Sajjadur Rahman told reporters that the rally was held without permission from the authorities concerned.

He said seven to eight policemen were injured, while some of the "violent" protesters were taken into custody.

Nazmul Haque, a JCD member, said more than 60 students and party members were injured. "Police attacked our peaceful protest without any provocation," he claimed./aa

Five security forces were killed in a car-bomb explosion in the western Anbar province on Sunday, according to a local official.

A booby-trapped car exploded as a joint force from the Iraqi army and tribal fighters were carrying out a search operation in al-Madham, 80 km west of Haditha town, mayor Mabrouk Hameed told Anadolu Agency.

He said a soldier and four tribal fighters were killed and four others injured in the bombing.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.

Last month, at least 32 people were killed and dozens injured in a twin bombing claimed by the Daesh/ISIS terrorist group in Baghdad.

In June 2014, Daesh/ISIS captured Mosul, Salahuddin and Anbar provinces and parts of Diyala and Kirkuk, which have been recaptured from the group in late 2017 by the Iraqi army with support from a US-led coalition.

The Iraqi army continues to carry out frequent operations against Daesh/ISIS in these parts where the terror group recently mobilized its sleeper cells in rural areas./aa

Turkey on Sunday called Greece to stop pushing asylum seekers back from their borders.

Urging Athens and "all elements involved in push-backs" to end their violations of international and EU law, as well as human rights and a 2016 migration deal between the EU and Turkey, the Foreign Ministry released a statement following two separate incidents on Feb. 23 and Feb. 24 when Greek forces assaulted groups of asylum seekers, took their valuables and left them stranded on an island in the middle of the Maritsa River between the two countries.

On both occasions, Turkish authorities rescued a total of 51 asylum seekers and migrants -- including women and children, said the statement, adding that interviews with them had revealed that some were foreign nationals who came to Greece via Serbia and Bulgaria and were pushed back to Turkey.

The statement also cited another incident in which Greek forces removed 13 Afghan refugees from a refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesbos on Feb. 18 and pushed them back to Turkey after beating them and taking their personal belongings.

Over 80,000 asylum seekers have been pushed back to Turkey in the last four years, it said, accusing Greece of conducting a "systematic policy" for years on the push-backs with the involvement of the EU border agency FRONTEX.

It also called on the EU to monitor its members' implementation of EU law and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights "on the basis of human dignity."

Turkey has been a key transit point for asylum seekers who want to cross to Europe to start new lives, especially those fleeing war and persecution.

Turkey hosts nearly 4 million refugees, including over 3.6 million Syrians, more than any other country in the world./aa

ANTALYA, Turkey(AA)

At least 175 irregular migrants and 11 human smugglers were held in the southern Turkish province of Antalya, security sources said on Sunday.

Acting on a tip-off, provincial gendarmerie teams, aided by the National Intelligence Organization (MIT), rounded up the migrants who were hiding inside trucks in Kemer district before embarking on a journey by sea.

Those held were nationals of Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Bangladesh, Palestine, Pakistan, Iran and Egypt. Of the total, 37 were infants and children.

Turkey has been a main route for irregular migrants trying to cross into Europe, especially since the 2011 Syria civil war.

ISTANBUL (AA)

The Turkish president on Sunday spoke against military coups, particularly the 1997 "post-modern" coup by the Turkish armed forces.

In a video message on the coup's 24th anniversary, Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he was jailed for reading a poem when he was the mayor of Istanbul.

"Despite all obstacles, I am proudly serving the honorable Turkish nation as its first popularly elected president,” he said in the video posted on Twitter. “Coups are crimes against humanity. I experienced the Feb. 28, 1997 military coup and have awareness of it."

Turkey's President Erdogan: Military coups are crimes against humanity

On Feb. 28, 1997, the military was involved in the collapse of late Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan’s administration amid concerns about the government’s alleged Islamist program.

Erbakan's government was forced to step down following a National Security Council meeting. His Welfare Party was later outlawed. A new civilian government then took over in a move known as Turkey’s "postmodern" coup.

Last December, a prosecutor recommended life sentences for two former generals over the coup.

The prosecutor requested that 60 suspects, including Ismail Hakki Karadayi, then-chief of general staff, and Cevik Bir, his then-deputy, be produced for trial. The case includes a total of 103 suspects.

Ministerial decree 27/2021 that was published last month in the official gazette Kuwait Al-Youm includes some changes and amendments to the labor law. Kuwait Times contacted the Public Authority for Manpower (PAM) for clarification of some of the new articles. The following questions were answered by Nasser Al-Hamidi, Head of the Legal Department at PAM.

Kuwait Times: What are the new amendments to the labor law in the new decree that are important to both the employer and the employee?

Nasser Al-Hamidi: Paragraph 3 of article 3 of law 109/2013 on the founding the Public Authority for Manpower mandated PAM to issue three types of regulations – the regulation of rules and procedures of issuing a work permit, regulation of transferring manpower from one employer to another, and the regulation of need assessment of workers.

The new decree 27/2021 was issued with the launch of PAM’s modern electronic system, which includes providing online services through its website to ease work for both employers and employees. This decree includes more clarifications of the regulations for registering licenses at PAM and adding new types of licenses. It also details how to appoint the authorized signatory and how to cancel the signatory. The decree also includes detailed provisions for the final cancellation of work permits.

Also, more types of businesses of the first category of licenses were added, such as companies with government shares that are established according to the development plan laws. Furthermore, barns and veterinary activities licensed by the Public Authority for Agricultural Affairs and Fish Resources were added to the first category of licenses, in addition to commercial and investment real estate.

Professions such as barber were added to men’s salons in the second category of licenses. Also, several restrictions were added to some businesses in the second category.

Employer’s death

KT: Does paragraph 1 of article 3 means that if the employer passes away, the establishment or company will be closed? Which businesses does this article apply to?

Hamidi: Article 3 includes the conditions of registering business licenses at PAM. The first condition requires that all employers should be alive, which is a normal condition and is not related to closing the establishment. Article 3 mentions the conditions for business registration, while later events such as the death of the owner doesn’t mean the closure of the establishment.

In this situation, article 50 of law 6/2010 is applied. This article states: In the event that the facility is sold, merged with others, or transferred by inheritance, donation or other legal action, the employment contract remains valid vis-a-vis the successor and under the same conditions as contained therein. The obligations and rights of the previous employer towards the employees are transferred to the employer who replaced him.

KT: Is article 8 new? Why does this decision include working under government contracts?

Hamidi: Article 9 of labor law 6/2010 states: A public authority with legal personality and an attached budget shall be established (PAM), supervised by the minister of social affairs and labor, and will be in charge of the functions assigned to the ministry in this law, as well as expat labor recruitment according to employers’ demands.

So PAM is in charge of all labor affairs in the private sector, whether the workers were employed based on government contracts and projects, employees in the oil sector, or employees in the private sector in other categories. PAM organizes regulations and procedures for issuing a work permit, renewing it or canceling it. This includes employees on government contracts and projects, whether these projects are longer than a year or a temporary project shorter than a year. This is highlighted in articles 7 to 10 of the fourth chapter on registering and canceling government contracts.

Working till midnight

KT: Why did article 23 include businesses that don’t operate till midnight?

Hamidi: This article is not really new, as it is included in the labor law for the private sector (6/2010) in the women’s labor section. Article 22 of the labor law states: Women are not allowed to work between 10:00 pm and 7:00 am, with the exception of hospitals, rehabilitation centers, private medical institutions and other institutions decided by the minister of social affair and labor. The employers in the abovementioned institutions are obliged to ensure security measures for them, in addition to their transportation to and from work.

Working hours during the holy month of Ramadan are also excluded from this article. The law authorizes the minister or PAM to issue a decision to exclude institutions that may be working during the period between 10:00 pm and 7:00 am. In fact, such decisions were issued previously, and the types of businesses in this article are not new and were not amended in the past few years.

KT: Some salesmen work in stores selling women’s lingerie and similar outfits – does article 27/1 apply to them?

Hamidi: This article bans men from working in places that provide services only for women, mentioning some examples such as lingerie shops, women’s salons, shops selling salon equipment and women’s health clubs. PAM will not issue work permits for men to work in these institutions or similar institutions that provide services only for women. Sanctions will be applied on male employees, and inspectors regularly go on inspections in all areas. The same applies to women, who are not allowed to work in institutions that provide services only for men.

Holding passports

KT: Is article 38 new? And does it apply to all professions?

Hamidi: This article bans employers in the private sector and oil sector to hold the passports of the employees working there, which is in line with international criteria. It is also subject to inspection of international labor organizations. PAM will receive any complaint from an employee and will force the employer to return the passport to the employee.

KT: Are the articles 49 and 50 new?

Hamidi: Article 37 of the labor law bans employers from imposing penalties on employees unless an employee was given written notice about the accusation, the accusation is investigated, their defense is heard, and a record of it is filed in the employee’s file. Of course, if the employee is absent from work, this will be one of the cases in which the worker breaches their duties stipulated in the work contract, which is an ‘absconding case’.

This was the reason for imposing articles 49 and 50 – to provide employees preventive security from having the employer file absconding cases that may be malicious. Article 49 obliges the employer to post a copy of the absconding notice in a visible place at the workplace until the case is resolved, so the employee is aware of the case filed against them, as their absence from work is a serious issue that has serious consequences.

Article 50 obliges an employer who has filed an absconding case against an employee to visit the labor department before the employee returns to work to avoid any action against the employee, as PAM’s staff should be made aware that the employee has returned to work. This provides better protection to the employee.

Myanmar's military junta on Saturday sacked the country’s envoy to the UN after he called on international community to use “any means necessary” to reverse the Feb. 1 military coup, local media reported.

Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun was speaking on behalf of the ousted civilian government of Aung San Suu Kyi.

According to Myanmar's state-run MRTV, Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun had "spoken for an unofficial organization which doesn't represent the country and had abused the power and responsibilities of an ambassador."


He has been accused of "betraying the country" and was dismissed from his position by the military junta.

On Friday, the envoy told the UN General Assembly that the military, formally known as the Tatmadaw, "has become the existential threat for Myanmar," recounting its violence against demonstrators demanding the restoration of democracy following the coup d'etat.

"Now is not the time for the international community to tolerate the war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the Myanmar military," the UN envoy said.

Myanmar's military declared a state of emergency on Feb. 1, hours after detaining de facto leader Suu Kyi and senior members of the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD).

The coup took place hours before the country's new parliament was set to convene following November elections in which the NLD made sweeping gains.

The military claimed it launched the coup due to "election fraud" resulting in the NLD’s dominance.

Shortly after the Feb. 1 coup, the junta declared martial law imposing a nightly curfew and a ban on gatherings of five or more people.

However, the junta has failed to quell popular protests by the people and a civil disobedience campaign initiated by government officials against military rule./aa

Urging the US to help resolve the Rohingya crisis, Bangladesh has called on the new administration to take steps such as imposing sanctions on Myanmar and appointing a special envoy, the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry said on Saturday.

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen, who is currently in Washington on an official visit, said the US must play a leading role in efforts to create a conducive environment for the safe and dignified return of the Rohingya, read a ministry statement.

In a session on the Rohingya issue at US think tank Newlines Institute on Strategy and Policy, Momen reiterated that the only durable solution is the repatriation of the 1.1 million Rohingya who have taken refuge in Bangladesh since fleeing a military crackdown in Myanmar's Rakhine State in 2017.

Myanmar has long dragged its feet on taking back the persecuted community and prospects for Rohingya repatriation have grown bleaker since the Feb. 1 military coup.

“Bangladesh looks forward to the US government’s concrete steps and leading role, including the proposal to appoint a special envoy on Rohingya,” he said.

At another event hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations, Momen called for American lawmakers to press the government to take more effective measures, such as imposing economic sanctions and removing Myanmar from the beneficiaries of the US’ Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program.

He also reiterated the need for the US to appoint a special envoy who will focus on the Rohingya issue and coordinate efforts for their repatriation./aa

Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party on Saturday condemned Greek soldiers’ mistreatment of irregular migrants.

Earlier, the Turkish Defense Ministry said in a statement: "29 irregular migrants were brutally beaten by Greek soldiers. Their money, phones and even their shoes were confiscated."

Turkish security forces rescued the migrants who were stranded on a small islet near the banks of the Meric River.

Describing the incident as "a violation of human rights," AK Party Spokesman Omer Celik said, "We condemn the Greek soldiers beating migrants at the Edirne border, confiscating their money, passports and even shoes and pushing them back from the border line."

"The European Union should not allow these inhumane practices within its borders. This is a violation of human rights, not border protection," Celik added.

He also applauded Turkish security forces for rescuing the migrants.

Turkey has been a key transit point for asylum seekers who want to cross to Europe to start new lives, especially those fleeing war and persecution.

The country hosts nearly 4 million refugees, including over 3.6 million Syrians, more than any other country in the world./aa