the coronavirus pandemic. has the rate of infection in developing. measures or. what is the latest research. information and context. the coronavirus of the good. monday to friday. you're watching news asia coming up today resistance to the military coup builds in myanmar but how hard will the people push back whether code democrats take to the streets and what numbers may determine the political future of the country. plus ongoing farmer protests in india get international attention we take a closer look at the women behind the movement.

i'm melissa chan welcome to news asia we started the week unpacking the breaking news out of myanmar that the military had no recent elections to seize power and detained earlier on some suchi of the national league for democracy party we ended the week with a look at where things stand more than 100 pro-democracy officials and politicians have been rounded up facebook which is widely used in the country has been blocked and while the main political party has called for protests a few people have taken to the streets for now so far the international community's response has been tepid here's the president of the u.n. security council barbara woodward. the members of the security council expressed deep concern at the declaration of

a state of emergency imposed to me by the military on the 1st of february and the opportunity detention of members of the government including state councilor armstrong suchi and president meant and others they called for the immediate release of all those detained. the members of the security council emphasized the need for the continued support of the democratic transition in me and we have pulitzer prize winning journalist amen joining us from myanmar a we just heard the comments from the un security council and the biden administration is still deciding how to respond what can the international community do and what do you think it should do. there are i think one really important thing to remember is to not repeat the mistakes of the past we had for decades and now mark roth sanctions really harmed people at the grassroots level because many of the military. business is natural resources based

and they continue to have trade partners especially with china you know around the region this well and they didn't really a target the people they were they were properly and i think another mistake that we need to avoid to make sure that we're not pinning all of our hopes onto one person and the leadership and potential all these of one person as well and instead to really solve. all of these grassroots organizers who are popping up around especially the. civil disobedience movement. and if we are going to do sanctions as an international community and to do something very specific targeted like what we're seeing with. beer company that is now pulling out of its relationship with the myanmar little tired company as a why. now why aren't we seeing that mean many people taking to the streets given the popularity of the national league for democracy. it's in part because of the

concern people are having for the national league for democracy and the people who've been taken into prison so based on the 2008 constitution which the military track. and which allowed. the previous elections that we have for the last 15 years to occur they're allowed to do or kumamoto various. under various and go situations and so on there are people really waiting to see which section of the constitution was going to be invoked and what charges were going to be levied against them so it would change. from what i was hearing on when i was going out and reporting a lot of people who are deeply concerned that's something. post-coup you know would be used retroactively to charge or are used to use in court against the people who are currently detained including outside sochi. now why is this happening right now . yeah that's the question i think that everyone's trying to figure out

i think there's a good argument but it's convenient and we had an election lined very. likely with. yeah perfectly with a global pandemic and so there there's just a lot less ability for the international community to observe the election for journalists to come in now for any sort of diplomatic missions. and just even for the international community to intervene in some way or to provide support and want and in some way. i think there's also arguments to be made. the military was trying to see if they like where. in 2010. when the election in large part because it was boycotted by a lot of parties especially the ability to 15 they lost. they may have expected to wait until thousands were any given that there have been. intervening years and

there are people who despite liking the end of the are not particularly are not you know jubilant the leadership they show. now is democracy at these brief few years we've seen and it's decades of authoritarian rule what do you think is democracy finished. i would make the argument that we have not only transitional democracy. and i think if you are a modern but this. of a certain class then you enjoyed a lot more freedoms in the last 20 years but for people who are living in conflict zones or the working for you know people who are just really economically disadvantaged you know you didn't enjoy the rights as a citizen and even what constitutes a service some of them are is is based on like race riots started so where you're

right instead of ideas a separate engagement. so i think we were on the path we were on the brother before the coup so i don't think we're quite the opposite yes. and i think whatever happens next if we don't keep those broader issues of mine always going to have something about it it's at least partially authoritarian. thank you so much for joining us. farmers in india are calling for a nationwide strike this weekend after more than 2 months of protests against controversial agrarian legislation the largely peaceful demonstrations suffered a setback last week when farmers broke past police barricades and clashes broke out but that hasn't stopped the movement and as many are charging reports many of the farmers behind this campaign are women. slogans songs

of resistance. the family protest. showed no signs of dying down. with the good enthusiasm women of all ages are leading from the front. one of them is 58 year old middle of the. a farmer who has come to join the movement with an all women group from a village 2 hours away from the capital current our family back home farms for a living she has been participating in the protests against the 3 agricultural laws passed by the government since the beginning. she says her age and the constant pain in her knees have not dampened her spirit and that women have as much right to be at the protest as men want more of what you need that women cannot do today. sorry go ahead every branch of the fly planes there are judges and lawyers where do you not see women today don't get the money don't women when legal cases in quotes

here also revealed when you have a. family name a lot of optimism is shared by found was camping out at the borders for over 2 months now. the protests have evolved and grown bigger. recently on india's republic day after farmers pledged to hold a peaceful track to rally the government allowed them into the capital. but clashes still erupted in some areas. now the government has hardened its towns to worse the protesters placing heavy fortifications and barriers to contain them c. but the crowd continues just when the clashes that took place on $26.00 in january between groups of farmers and security forces led to act last year in which it was being caught that the protests may grow weaker on the contrary the protests are only strengthened when more and more women from the neighboring states all daily

joining in making their way into the capital city the country where the move. for over 70 percent of rule indian working women are engaged in some kind of farming activity to make a significant contribution to in just agricultural book course. and their participation in big numbers at these protests has trenton's the movement. like name of the community also comes from a family of farmers and says the found bill's book passed without consulting them and will not benefit. a large group of women from her village have joined her as well to show their solidarity with the farmers cause most reliable were no planes women are as important in these protests as men we are also as in modern agriculture as them and the region where i come from women actually work harder in fields than. minimal are complete. and gauntlets other women like them they will not leave until the law is up woman and you should be a mother if this gets resolved to do beyond ready to lead to the sense even not to

let up until we get what's hard right we want to die and. then miller says her grandson has told her to come back after winning this but and she is determined to not go. joining us is. very indelicate in addition to the women you profiled in the report we've also seen some internationally known women support these protests we have climate activists grana turnberry and also pop singer rianna does this kind of attention matter at all. when judging from what happened after the if we didn't it seems like it didn't matter after all jonathan read to us we've actually made quite a huge impact immediately after the treated. social media in india actually blew up especially twitter we had thousands of thousands of tweets to eating them and some of them criticizing both of them some of them appreciating them what their tweets did was the far more protest issue happening in india

a sort of global attention which it perhaps had not received till now and not only the pharma project but also the fact that the indian government has ordered 2 internet shutdowns one day in areas. around only to contain the protests in their view after they tweeted the ministry of external affairs a so issued a statement calling these tweets sensationalist and irresponsible and we saw a lot of celebrity then minutes to come in all would and treating in one go about how india is united and how it doesn't need people from outside india during government on into so in a way did impact a lot interesting now the farm legislation has already passed so just how likely will the farmers get their way i mean politically prime minister narendra modi is in a very secure position or is he not. well in terms of what's going to happen it's hard to see the farmers refused to back down they do not want to settle on any compromise what they want which had they have been saying since the beginning as a complete repeal of these 3 laws the government do refuses to bagged out after my

point on the conversation with the founders they have not been able to break the deadlock but what critics have also been pointing out that this situation has also become a matter of a battle in a real for section and for the government itself and the government would also not want to back down on this matter so actually element there seems to be no resolution in sight. many or chadri thank you so much for joining us. that's it for today there's always more on our website dot com forward slash thank you for watching have a good weekend and goodbye. and demand. language courses. video. w. . hy meal and i'm game

did you know that 17000000 land on the moon or killed worldwide so that we can do good but it's not just good old subtle suffering it's the environment on a journey to find ways out of the ignition if you want to know how one click to the priest and the whole trust changed as he sees this listen to our podcast on the green. star is just 6 a great close harmony group from south africa more about them in a minute welcome drop culture also coming up today. it's known as the queen of

instruments although this instrument of the year germany. and that you know souvenir the snow was actually invented accidentally over 120 years ago in vienna. parts we begin with the acapella group just 6 based in johannesburg have been wiring audiences with their distinctive harmonies for 10 years now at the moment like so many musicians the world over they are unable to give live performances but seeing close harmony isn't easy and requires a lot of practice that's why they still try to get together to write when they can . find a carter as a singer in the acapella group just 6 he's on his way to the 1st meetup this year the guy is just want to keep in touch. when it's

a season but i did push on. the music school to teach music is going to keep the seat you know. in the past 5 years or so i have spent a lot of time to give us so we pretty much become like brothers so when we are separated from each other for a long time you kind of feel before you. ringback on some ball have planned to celebrate its 10th anniversary with concerts a parole board but kovac 19 put a stop so that 2 of the singers were not able to attend the rehearsal due to travel restrictions the hardest part for artists in general.

because we need to have people you know filled up in a room like this one that we have here so we haven't been able to work consistently . better symes a performance in south africa that was part of joint chavela as campus project supporting cooperation between musicians from different parts of the world in 2019 just 6 and the all female groups e.l.o. from like sig were the beneficiaries. the 2 groups worked on a program which they 1st performed in south africa and then in germany it was a great exchange in hearing what they do with them he was asked trying to put that together. the climax of the project was a performance from the german youth orchestra at the beethoven festival in vaughan

we were even having plans to sing there you know in 10 to 20 probably can meet again and do another tour somewhere else and in 2020 why and because that's what it looked like and then in 2020 we covered 1000 happened and then everything just went sinking. and not being able to sing anymore it does affect you in a way because this is something you did everything this is something that's a calling and it's something that gives you life. since the pandemic struck the group members all have taken on supplementary jobs carter and most of his income from performing now he's giving online piano lessons to make ends meet. here. nice one. we you know each person now is you know going to get into their savings and pandev depleting

everything that they are. even saved up so it's quite challenging. one of the group's members is still recovering from covert 19. i suffered from it and it affected me you know mentally and physically i'm just grateful that i'm still here i can still sing in future when things open up. they really sing great harmonies it is the world's most imposing yet most versatile instrument the organ it has a range of up to 6 octaves some have as many as 5 keyboards and it can sound like a massive 70 orchestra one moment and the next accompany the quietest of prats just

in germany alone there are 50000 organs of all different shapes and sizes and here it has been named the instrument of the year 2020 wall. and organist needs the right shoes and to focus mind and body playing the organ is a bit like a workout. the organ is a larger than life experience cusa greatest possible transformation of the material interest hearing in christ something like tone plus color over time. the organ is the biggest the lowest the highest the loudest and quietest of

instruments it consists. of pipes bellows and keyboard the organ dates back to ancient times join the middle ages monks started using openings in churches the interim and reflected god's omnipotence with its infinite seeming sounds scaling heights above and beyond the every day while. used to be a cultural manager but now he leads a very different life he practices the organ every day it's like meditation and exercise in the wall and he's fascinated by this instruments. if you touch key on a piano it goes ping ping if you touch it here there's a current of wind which means that air is my material it's unbelievable the sound that unfolds. borish invited cameron carpenter to come to

berlin from new york he's known for his over doc style he's one of the fastest organists in the world he also created his own digital organ. just walking to the console to this day feels fills me with a kind of deep anticipation and excitement nervousness and a readiness as though i'm coming to the moment that i was made for. cameron has made it his mission to free the instrument from the shackles of religion. the idea that the organ comes from church is

christian propaganda it's not only about playing the organ but also about expanding our idea of what the organ is which of course includes giving the organ identity outside of church and also in people's minds as being possible to be something other than only church. to its fans the organ is an instrument that lives. i'm certainly. always beginning again my my journey with the organ with this organ insurance to does and what's beautiful is that the is an instrument which doesn't just give itself to the player has to be conquered it's designed you feel like. when you sit down to play the old good maps and. vive and one for i know all groups are it's. now finally the organ is

instrument of the crowning glory for the queen of instruments. right now there's lots of snow about here in the northern hemisphere leads me nicely on next subject the snow globe invented in 1800 in vienna by an enterprising surgical instrument mechanic called patsy it was in his kitchen rather than his workshop but he had his you rico moment the patsy family still makes no globes to this day with the same formula haven't patsy discovered over 120 years ago. you shouldn't shake a snow globe instead you have to turn it on its head and wait until the snow settles when you turn it back over and it's news. to the

3rd knows all the secrets about snow. his grandfather avin patsy the 1st conducted his initial experiments in this workshop indiana he was a mechanic of surgical instruments and an inventor using a glass bowl filled with water he was actually planning to enhance operating room lighting. like it was for the hot more than 120 years ago my grandfather invented the snow globe but pure charm set in the creature from so he happened to find some semolina in his mother's kitchen and he tossed some in the bowl of water and it sucked up the water and floated down to the bottom of the bowl very slowly due that he thought it looks like it's snowing in this glass bottles but how the idea was born from the snow globe pretty quick. his grandfather found a miniature version of the basilica and mariette santa an austrian pilgrimage site he painted a pedestal with sheet polish and glued on the church setting it in a glass globe in 1900 he applied for

a patent on the world's 1st snow globe the flakes fluttered down gently thanks to the viennese formula. yes meant my father was the 1st to produce the mixture of snow that we used to the year and that's my secret so far i'm the only one who knows exactly how it's done was directly next to the workshop is the family's own snow globe museum the dinies snow globe is a top export 3 former u.s. presidents have one on a shelf. like this no glow for the obama family i think you gift given by a resident of vienna on a visit to the white house the company presently stocks more than 350 motifs. remember any cases in a recent interview to feel perfect well and that's been my world for over 40 years . and cozy world where it always smells.

i leave you with some snowshoe arctic canada the work of retired school master came as a person who with the help of friends has been stomping around in the snow covered fields of all teria making magnificent geometric patterns.

good to come to terms. one giant problem and nearly get in on the scene an appeal to you. in bahrain to the change in mood in a few times. how will climate change affect us and our children ask. b w dot com slash water. and you hear me now years and years we don't need you and how last year's german chancellor i want to bring you angle a man called and you've never heard her before surprised yourself with what is possible who is magical when you walk in i'm part of us who talk to people who followed her along the way admirers and critics alike our is the world's most

powerful woman shaping her legacy joining us from ackles last stops. it's about billions. it's about how the world. gets a good. the foundation of the world order of the new silk road the china wants to expand its influence with history network and so the conflicts are inevitable the consequences contradict the book in his book of the shaking of the chinese state as a model of money at its disposal ok i'm going to know how it's expanding the $10.00 asserting its status and position in the world to be fair to the buckle up china is promising its curse for rich profits but in europe there's a sharp warning you could never accept money from the new superpower it will be

coming to an undertone in. china's gateway to europe going to start feb 19th going. to get kicked out of the. plane . this is d w news live from berlin e.u. russia ties under strain on a visit to moscow the european union's foreign affairs chief says the jailing of prime one critical lesson of all need is a low point to all name is now on trial again this time for defamation. meanwhile german chancellor angela merkel condemns the kremlin.