Security threat

TOKYO — NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg and Japanese premier Fumio Kishida pledged on Tuesday to strengthen ties, saying Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its growing military cooperation with China had created the most tense security environment since World War II. The comments came in a statement issued during Mr Stoltenberg’s trip to Japan following a visit to South Korea on which he urged Seoul to increase military support to Ukraine and gave similar warnings about rising tension with China.

TWO years after Myanmar’s military coup, a young factory worker turned resistance fighter mourns the loss of his leg in battle.

The February 1, 2021 coup, which unseated Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government, has left a trail of upended lives in its wake.

US-based conflict monitoring group Acled says about 19,000 people died last year as a crackdown on protests led many to take up arms against the military.

Some 1.2 million people have been displaced and over 70,000 have left the country, according to the United Nations, which has accused the military of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Myanmar’s military says it is carrying out a legitimate campaign against “terrorists”. It did not respond to requests for comment by Reuters.

The stories of four people reflect a crisis the UN special envoy last week warned was taking a “catastrophic toll” on the population.

Aye Chan heard the rat-tat-tat of gunfire followed by an explosion.

“I didn’t know if I had been hit or not,” the 21-year-old told Reuters, recalling the military attack last year that cost him his leg.

When he tried to stand, his legs didn’t work. A comrade carried him to a hospital where he awoke to find one had been amputated from the knee down.

A factory worker making instant noodles before the coup, he had been part of the massive crowds which took to the streets to demand democracy be restored after the coup. When protest groups began taking up arms, he joined them.

The first time on the frontlines, his heart was pounding.

“Then I looked around at my comrades and they were smiling and laughing. I was not afraid.”

While morale among the resistance troops is high, he said, they are outmatched by a wellequipped army.

“When they shoot, they shoot continuously, we can’t even raise our head,” he said.

“We need to save bullets as well.”

Now, he spends most days sleeping, cooking and sharing food with friends.

“I try to live my life as happily as I can,” he said.

“I can’t do the things I did before.”

Reuters is not disclosing his whereabouts for security reasons.

He has no regrets about joining the resistance.

“If I recover enough, I will go back to war. This is until the end.”