‘Asean opposes arms embargo’

Nine Southeast Asian countries have urged the United Nations not to endorse a freeze on arms sales to Myanmar, according to a report from Benar News. 

The report by the affiliate of the U.S.-funded Radio Free Asia, quoted a Liechtenstein diplomat as saying the nine states wrote a letter to nations sponsoring a draft UN General Assembly resolution on Myanmar, where a Feb. 1 coup has sparked mass protests and a bloody crackdown by the military-led junta.

The news outlet said the letter asked countries sponsoring the draft resolution to remove a sentence calling for "an immediate suspension of the direct and indirect supply, sale or transfer of all weapons and munitions" to Myanmar.

The letter was sent on behalf of nine of the ten members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) grouping but did not include bloc member Myanmar, Benar News reported.

A spokesman for Indonesia's foreign ministry said he was unaware of the letter and referred Reuters to Asean. A spokesman for Asean did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Meanwhile, Myanmar economy and banking system have been paralysed since a military power-grab forcing millions worry about their future.

Livelihoods have been lost after strikes and factory closures, fuel prices have shot up and those lucky enough to have bank savings face day-long queues to withdraw their cash.

Venturing out in public to earn a living has also become a safety hazard against the backdrop of an indiscriminate and brutal crackdown on dissent that has killed more than 800 civilians, according to a local monitoring group.

In a country which in normal times exports rice, beans and fruit, millions will go hungry in the coming months, the World Food Programme has warned.

Price hikes have hit remote areas particularly hard -- near the Chinese border in Kachin state, rice is almost 50 per cent more expensive, according to the WFP.

The WFP estimates that within the next six months, as many as 3.4 million more people will go hungry in Myanmar and it is poised to triple its emergency food assistance.