Myanmar coup latest: Beijing urges junta to protect Chinese interests
Wednesday, March 17
8:30 p.m. Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, operator of the Peninsula hotel brand, is reassessing its project in Yangon as the aftermath of the military coup and continuing bloodshed that has thrown Myanmar into turmoil. The Hong Kong-listed luxury hotel chain says Wednesday it has "noted the recent violence and chaos with great concern, and we continue to evaluate both the immediate actions required and the longer-term decisions that need to be made in respect of this project."
4:30 p.m. Myanmar's military government is increasing pressure on private banks to reopen by threatening the forced transfer of private deposit accounts to military-controlled banks, Nikkei Asia has learned.
4:00 p.m. China's Global Times says sources within Chinese state enterprises with operations in Myanmar say they have not received orders to evacuate, in what it says was a denial of reports that China had ordered non-essential staff to pull out. On Tuesday, Hong Kong's South China Morning Post said China has asked state firms to evacuate non-essential staff from Myanmar after dozens of Chinese-run factories were attacked on the weekend, citing sources within those companies.
3:50 p.m. Pope Francis has appealed for an end to bloodshed in Myanmar, saying "Even I kneel on the streets of Myanmar and say 'stop the violence.'" Speaking at the end of his general audience, Francis says those who have died there have sacrificed "to offer hope to their country."
2:10 p.m. Myanmar should take "moreconcreteand more vigorous" measures to ensure the safety of Chinese citizens and companies there, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian says during a daily news briefing on Wednesday.
1:30 p.m. While many multinational companies have begun to publicly express their opposition to the military coup and subsequent violence in Myanmar, Chinese companies Myanmar's largest investors have stayed silent. A Yangon-based rights group has called for companies to sign a joint statement of concern about the coup, but Chinese companies are conspicuously absent.
10:30 a.m. The State Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee (Mahana) the most powerful group of Buddhist monks called on the junta to end violence against protesters, according to media reports. In its most forthright condemnation, the government-appointed body also said in a draft statement its members intended to halt activities in an apparent protest. Mahana planned to release a final statement after consulting the religious affairs minister on Thursday, Myanmar Now news website reported.
https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Myanmar-Coup/Myanmar-coup-latest-Beijing-urges-junta-to-protect-Chinese-interests