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Myanmar’s military has staged a coup, seizing more power from the country’s civilian leadership and cutting communications, with fears of more crackdowns to come.
Aung San Suu Kyi, who became the country’s civilian leader in 2015 after years of military rule, urged supporters “not to accept” the military coup.
The Canadian government said it is “deeply concerned” by the military’s actions.
“Canada calls on the Myanmar military to release all individuals who have been detained as part of this operation and immediately halt all obstructions to the democratic process,” Foreign Affairs Minister Marc Garneau said in a statement.
Myanmar’s military and civilian leaders – including Ms. Suu Kyi, who is a Nobel Peace Price laureate – have already come under intense international criticism for its abuse of the nation’s 715,000 Rohingya people. Canada’s House of Commons labelled the campaign against the Rohingya a genocide in 2018.
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TODAY’S HEADLINES
Internal documents disclosed through the House of Commons health committee show aides in the Prime Minister’s Office were frustrated last year by how the Public Health Agency of Canada was handling the pandemic.
Novavax is the fifth drug company to submit its COVID-19 vaccine to Health Canada for approval. Only two vaccines – by Pfizer and Moderna – have been approved so far, with a decision on a third – from AstraZeneca – expected soon.
Transport Minister Omar Alghabra says new testing and quarantining requirements for travellers coming into Canada could take effect as soon as Thursday.
Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault says a bill to create a regulator to oversee online hate speech is coming “soon,” and will be followed by another to support news organizations who have lost ad revenue due to online platforms..
And dozens of Republicans who served in the Bush administration say they are leaving the party because of the continuing influence of Donald Trump. “If it continues to be the party of Trump, many of us are not going back,” Rosario Marin, a former treasurer of the U.S., said.
Campbell Clark (The Globe and Mail) on the importance of making vaccines in Canada: “Now we know. When there is a global crisis like a pandemic, there will be an international rush to obtain the things that will alleviate it, like vaccines, so importing those things will be hard. And borders matter.”
Kelly Cryderman (The Globe and Mail) on Alberta easing lockdown restrictions: “However, to keep restrictions in place longer goes against the natural political inclination of the Premier, who spent much of last year emphasizing “personal responsibility.” Unlike in some other provinces, he has allowed stores to remain open at 15-per-cent capacity, with the specific aim of trying to save smaller retailers. Deep down, Mr. Kenney’s allegiance lies with the battered gym and restaurant owners who have been calling for a clear timeline for reopening.”
Tanya Talaga (The Globe and Mail) on calls for an Indigenous governor-general: “Some people – both Indigenous and non-Indigenous – have argued that giving this $270,602-salaried post to an Indigenous person would be a true sign that Canada is ready for reconciliation. But really, it would be a shocking ask of any Indigenous person, considering that the monarchy has spent centuries looking the other way while crimes of colonialism were being committed.”
Robert Jago (National Post) on how to stop non-Indigenous people from claiming Indigenous grants: “However, Indigenous identity is no more confusing than getting a health card or a driver’s license. Each of the more than 600 recognized Indigenous governments in Canada have their own rules to determine who is a member. Most of them are codified, and some are even searchable online. Among real Indigenous people, there isn’t any grey area: it is clear who is Indigenous and who is not.”
Sandford Borins (The Globe and Mail) on taking the cross out of the national anthem: “My argument, addressed to all Canadians, but particularly to francophones, is that a reference to a religious symbol with which a substantial minority of Canadians do not identify, and which some in that minority find aversive, is no longer appropriate within a national anthem that we have continually revised to be inclusive for all Canadians.”
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