Up until recently, one of Chaw Kalyar's tasks at the Myanmar embassy in Berlin consisted of providing assistance to fellow nationals stripped of their citizenship by their country's former military rulers.

But today, the diplomat finds herself facing the same predicament.

Along with two other colleagues, she has joined a civil disobedience movement that has seen Myanmar diplomats in several countries stand against the military junta that ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and seized power on February 1.

At least 614 civilians have been killed in the military's crackdown on protests and nearly 3,000 arrested, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a local monitoring group.

""At the beginning of February, I despaired of the coup, whereas since 2015 Myanmar was on the right track," said Kalyar. "History was repeating itself.

"I decided to do something," added the 49-year-old diplomat. "We have to take part in that movement to overtake the coup."

Kalyar, who as a high school student in 1988 took part in mass protests against the then military regime, recalled having many friends killed at that time.

"I kept strong feelings inside me throughout my life," she said.

- Jolted into action -

Kalyar, who has the rank of third secretary at the embassy in Berlin, said she was not about to sit by and watch as the latest political crisis unfolded.

"As the only embassy with military attaches in Europe, we felt their influence growing: now they come to the embassy more frequently and provide propaganda notes on the situation in Myanmar," she said.

She said she was jolted into action after Kyaw Moe Tun, Myanmar's top envoy at the United Nations, spoke out against the coup-makers in late February.

His voice quavering, Kyaw Moe Tun had urged the military to restore civilian rule in a speech before the UN General Assembly. He was immediately fired by Myanmar's military rulers and accused of high treason.

"I was very touched (by) his move," Kalyar said."He is a leader for us and we can do as well."

She said on March 4, she and two other diplomats at the seven-strong embassy joined the disobedience movement and posted on Facebook a message of support to the unarmed protesters back home.

Less than a week later, she said, the trio received letters informing them they had been fired and their passports withdrawn.

"When we posted our announcement on Facebook, we knew what the consequences would be," Kalyar said.

"We cannot go back home or go out of Germany because they cancelled our passports," she added. "We have to stay here but it's alright as compared to people in Myanmar whose lives are at stake every moment."

Germany, which has denounced the coup, is currently examining the case of the diplomats.

"The federal government deems that the diplomatic status of employees at the embassy has not yet expired," a foreign ministry spokesman told AFP.

Kalyar said about 20 Myanmar diplomats worldwide, including in Paris, Geneva and Washington, have also joined the civil disobedience movement.

She denounced pro-junta diplomats in Britain who ousted Myanmar's ambassador on Tuesday, barring him from entering the embassy in London and forcing him to sleep in his car overnight.

Kalyar said she doubts the same scenario could play out at the embassy in Berlin, one of the most important in Europe, given how close the ambassador there is to the military.

Myanmar's UN envoy urges action against junta as bloodshed continues
Yangon (AFP) April 10, 2021 - Myanmar's own ambassador to the United Nations has urged "strong action" against the junta, as reports emerged of scores killed in the military's latest crackdown.

The country has been in turmoil since the military ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi in February, with protesters refusing to submit to the junta regime and continuing to demand a return to democracy.

With more than 600 people killed by security forces trying to quell the movement, the international community has increasingly raised the alarm on the crisis.

During a UN Security Council meeting on Friday, Myanmar's ambassador pushed for more concrete action -- proposing a no-fly zone, an arms embargo and more targeted sanctions against members of the military and their families.

"Your collective, strong action is needed immediately," Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun told the meeting.

"Time is of the essence for us," he said. "Please, please take action."

An independent analyst with the International Crisis Group also warned the council that Myanmar was "at the brink of state failure".

"The vast majority of the population does not want military rule and will do whatever it takes to prevent that outcome. Yet the military seems determined to impose its will," said Richard Horsey.

"Its actions may be creating a situation where the country becomes ungovernable. That should be of grave concern to the region and to the broader international community."

China and Russia wield veto power at the Security Council and generally oppose international sanctions.

However, Beijing -- the top ally of Myanmar's military -- has voiced growing concern about instability, and has said it is speaking to "all parties".

There have been reports that China has opened contact with the CRPH, a group representing the ousted civilian government.

- Bloodshed in Bago-

At least 618 civilians have been killed in the military's crackdown on protests, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a local monitoring group.

Efforts to verify deaths and confirm news of crackdowns have been greatly hindered by the junta's throttling of mobile data within the country -- effectively shunting most of the population into an information blackout.

News emerged Saturday morning of more violence in the city of Bago, 65 kilometres (40 miles) northeast of Yangon -- the site of a day-long crackdown that forced residents into hiding in nearby villages.

AFP-verified footage shot early Friday showed protesters hiding behind sandbag barricades wielding homemade rifles, as explosions could be heard in the background.

A resident told AFP that the military crackdown killed at least 40 protesters, and authorities refused to let rescue workers remove the bodies.

"They piled up all the dead bodies, loaded them into their army truck and drove it away," he said, adding that authorities then proceeded to arrest people around the community.

Local media reports have put the death toll for Bago's crackdown at far higher.

The junta had branded the victims of anti-coup unrest "violent terrorist people", putting the total death toll since February 1 at 248, according to a spokesman Friday.

- 'They will not rule us' -

Despite the daily bloodshed, protesters have continued to take to the streets, with dawn strikes sprouting across the country Saturday.

Demonstrators are also manifesting their discontent in pointedly creative ways.

In commercial hub Yangon, crimson paint -- representing the blood already spilled -- was splashed across the streets in view of the historic Shwedagon Pagoda.

"Let us unite and boldly show in red that the dictatorial regime will not be allowed to rule us at all," a student activist announced on Facebook.

Flyers with the words "They will not rule us" were scattered across Yangon neighbourhoods.

In Mandalay, activists pasted the same flyers on the statue of General Aung San.

The father of Suu Kyi, he is a national hero who is widely regarded as having wrested Myanmar from under the yoke of British colonialism.

Suu Kyi is currently facing a series of charges from the junta -- including accusations of corruption and for having unregistered walkie-talkies.

The military has repeatedly justified seizing power by alleging widespread electoral fraud in November's elections, which Suu Kyi's party won in a landslide.

Related Links
Democracy in the 21st century at TerraDaily.com

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UN envoy to make Myanmar diplomatic push
Yangon (AFP) April 9, 2021
The UN's special envoy for Myanmar is to embark on an Asian tour to step up diplomatic efforts to tackle the crisis, as the death toll from the junta's crackdown on dissent passed 600 on Friday. The push by Christine Schraner Burgener comes amid mounting international concern at events in Myanmar, rocked by daily protests since the military ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and seized power on February 1. Burgener will start her trip in Thailand and will also visit China, though exact deta ... read more