brent: this is "dw news." life from berlin. myanmar could be on the brink of a civil war. the u.s. says a bloodbath is imminent as the army ramps up a deadly crackdown on anti-coup protesters. tonight, a chilling verdict on freedom in hong kong. activists convicted of unlawful a silly face years in prison. we visit a campaigne who

dedicated his life to democracy in china. and, overcoming vaccine skepticism, how to convince ethnic minority londoners may be reluctant to roll up their sleeves they should do that for their own good. add celebrating same-sex marriage, 20 years on. we meet one of the first pioneering couples. ♪ i am brent goff. to our viewers on pbs in the united states, and all of your around the world, welcome. we begin with myanmar and growing international concern over a military conflict inside the country. the u.n. special envoy has warned of a possible civil war, and says a bloodbath is imminent. the latest escalation, aircraft bombed positions held by an ethic minority -- ethnic

minority for the first time in two decades and thousands of villagers have fled into thailand. >> after two months of daily street protests, a symbolic act rings new hope to the cause. protesters in cities around myanmar burned the 2000 eight constitution, constitution these nine by the military. opponents of the junta declared it buoyed and have written an alternative charter. but with members of the democratically hard -- demo elected government detained, finding diplomatic resolution is increasingly difficult. aung san suu kyi, elected leader, faces new charges and if convicted she could be barred fromolding office again. her lawyers have only been able to see her briefly by video link. [speaking foreign language] >> i am not able to say if she is aware of what is happening in the country due to circumstances yesterday and today in court.

she main or not, i cannot guess. it was good to see her today and yesterday, by a conferencing. she is healthy. the u.n. special envoy for myanmar urged the un security council to act. she warns the country is at risk for falling into civil war. activists on the ground say the situation is dir >> with this kind of oppression from the military, and continuous effort from ethnic armed forces, is highly likely there will be a civil war in one month. i would like to appeal to the united nations, to do something about it. because we could see a lot of sanctions coming from the u.k., the united states, and japan a other european countries. but there has not been any uniform sanctions coming from the u.n. >> [shouting chants] >> many demonstrators and armed

force -- believe it armed forces the only way to return democracy. several areas have armed militias and some have announced the coup, saying that will protect their territories and protesters. brent: earlier we spoke to our myanmar correspondent and asked if myanmar really is on the brink of eight civil war as a you and envoy is warning? >> when you look at how the situation deteriorated the past few weeks, the massive uptick in violence, the security forces attacks largely on unarmed civilians. now we may see mo armed ethnic roots getting involved with the fight in different fronts. the fact that students and office workers from the main cities have been going to the jungles to get essentially crash courses in guerrilla warfare. all of this shows you this really does have the potential to turn into a full-blown civil war. how quickly we get there is difficult to say.

but as this develops, we could be looking at food shortages. the public health care system in myanmar, before the piegan -- before the pandemic was under resourced. now it is barely functioning and that could get worse. this could absolutely turn into a complete humanitarian disaster. and myanmar, a country that a couple of years ago people were talking about the potential for it -well, now, we have to wonder if it is going to turn into a failed state. brent: that was our correspondent reporting. a court in hong kong convicted seven prominent pro-democracy activists and politicians for the role in antigovernment protests in 2019. sentencing of the group will take place at a later date, but they could face up to five years in prison. two of the dfendants previously pleaded guilty. those convicted on thursday include the man known as hong kong's father of democracy, and you see him there, martin lee,

the 82-year-old cofounder of the democratic party. also 73-year-old media tycoon jim eli, what it-- jimmy lai, what are the most outspoken critics of the current administration. and margaret own, 73-year-old barrister and former lawmaker. we take a look at the decades long democracy struggle, which, for some activists, began in beijing. >> a small flat in downtown hong kong, the world's only museum dedicated to that 19 8910 men -- 1989 tiananmen square crackdown is located. change the course of many people in china and hong kong. >> i was there during the jane fourth masker. i was detained -- i was there for the jane fourth massacre and detained for three days. i pledged i would spend my life following democracy in china. so those who sacrifice would not be in vain. -- june 4thmassacre.

>> three decades on critics the a massive crackdown carried out by beijing. this time on its most liberal and democratic city, hong kong. in the wake of antigovernment protests, he and eight others were charged with attending and organizi an unauthorized assembly. that rally, in which a million people took part, was one of the few without violent clashes. everyone of the defendants are high-profile figures. apart from the media tycoon jimmy lai, our former lawmakers, or organizers of the opposition movement including one known as the father of democracy. it carries a maximum five year jail term. [crowd chanting] this case the tip of the iceberg with 10,000 others arsted. the first verdict among the nine charges for which he is on trial. beijing's recent national

security law and its restructuring of the government system is intensifyingears. attending a morning vigil every year, calling for an end to china's one-party rule for decades. that can make him a prime target for the beijing security law. this yeahe will likely be absent for the very first time. >> in this era, in a way that going to jail is part of the struggle now, i would comfort myself by saying that this is already something of a blessing for me, and that i would only have to go to jail after 40 years of activism in hong kong. and, but i'm ready to pay the price and ready to face it. >> having witnessed hong kong's death case long struggle, the 60 furled activist is not optimistic. he believes his successors will continue to fight for democracy until they finally reach their goal. brent: nathan law is a pro-democracy activist from hong

kong and former student leader now living in exile in london. we asked him today, what these convictions mean for hong kong's democracy movement? >> for now, the pro-democracy movement, has stepped into a low tide. it is like we are stepping into a winter storm, that every one of us has to face it. and possibly people tend to lie low. but if someone is to resisting, they will receive serious repercussions. but i do not think that will kill all of the determination of us, fighting pro-democracy. i think many of us have already been jailed and seen at as one of the costs we are to pay on the road of struggle. so i think many of them actually have the mental preparation for that. and for the rule of law and hong kong, it is all gone. under the national security law. and people's freedom of

expression and freedom of association are being all annihilated. so i think that is the sad reality of hong kong. brent: it was nathan law speaking with us earlier. let's take a look at other stories making headlines around the world. u.s. president joe biden conveyed his first cabinet meeting at the white house. he used to gathering to promote his new to trillion dollar infrastructure plan. -- $2 trillion dollar info structure plan. the u.s. cabinet is the most diverse in u.s. history. belgian police gathered with a large crowd gathered in a park after a fake concert was announced on social media as an april 1 -- april fools' day prank. police said three officers were hurt and four people were arrested. large gatherings are banned in belgium due to surging infection numbers. pope francis has begun celebrating the christian holy week of easter by leading a mass in st. peter's cathedral in rome. the pontiff skips the

traditional service commemorating jesus'last supper. other events over the weekend will also be restricted. a holy thursday service has also been held at notre dame cathedral in paris. it is the first since the gothic building was badly damaged in a fire two years ago. the scaled-down ceremony involved foot washing ritual, that civilize is jesus' -- symbolizes jesus' willingness to serve. staying in france, the national assembly approved new measures aimed at slowing a surge of covid-19 cases that include a three week school shutdown, a ban on public alcohol consumption, and a month-long domestic travel prohibition. opposition lawmakers boycotted the vote, criticizing the restrictions as incoherent. the government is promising to speed up its vaccination drive. >> intensive care units in hospitals all over france are running out of free beds.

at this medical center, one hour north of paris, the icu is full. they have been forced to add temporary beds, to cope. >> we feel this way hitting us hard, and we are hanging on. people need to be worn to be warned they should not gather. we had a mother and her son die at the same time, into different intensive care rooms, all because of a family gathering. it is unbearable for us. it is a vertical situation to manage. >> spring weather has drawn people onto the streets, despite the dramatic surge in covid-19 cases. images like these lead medical experts to demand stricter measures and the government responded. schools and non-essential shops will close, and domestic travel is bound. -- banned. presidenemmanuel macron pleaded forooperation. ♪

>> in the coming months, each one of us must make an extra effort. this is what i ask of us collectively this evening. >> present macron also promised to increase the number of icu beds from the current 7000 to 10,000, and to speed up the sluggish vaccination program across the country. unlike his european neighbors, macomb did not tighten -- macron did not tighten restrictions whenever dramatically increased in january. >> i think it is a good idea, because nothing has to be done. because the situation, the hospitals, is very concerning, especially for doctors. so i think he had to do something, but maybe it is not enough. because people still can go out during the day. >> these measures should have been taken in january, when it was not as sunny as now.

they should have anticipated this. this would not be effective at all, especially at the french are sick of all of these contradictory measures, regarding how far away from your home you're allowed to be, or if you need a document or not. >> the latest blocked out will be in place for at least one month. macron hopes to reopen some cultural venues, restaurants and cafés, by mid-may. brent: more than 30 million people in great britain have received the first coronavirus vaccine shot, but not everyone is keen to roll up their sleeve. vaccine skepticism is prevalent among minorities, even though they have been harder hit by the virus. dw's london correspondent reports on efforts to persuade those who may be reluctant to get vaccinated. >> the district of rent in north london is one of the poorest and

the u.k. and it is one area most affected by covid-19. here, it is more important that as many people as possible get vaccinated. longtime residents -- one longtime resident is committed to making this happen. >> we kids s peoe are walking -- we can see people walking around, not sure who to turn to our talk to. where do they seek help? >> the pandemic exposed long-standing health inequalities in the ok and the government has not allocated 20 million pounds to tackle this. so-called community champions art targeting those hard-to-reach with phone help lines and web sites and chatting on the street. he has set himself the task of reducing mistrust of the government and authorities, and dispelling myths about vaccination. >> it is just another tool to control people in deprived areas

maybe. we heard about microchips which is preposterous. but more, it is, who else, why should we listen to anybody? why should we listen to anybody now, especially given no one has listen to us before? >> conversations with locals reveal their suspicion. >> i do not want it. it is not going to do me no good. right to kill me off. >> i'm high-risk and do not want it, i am not having it. >> they are testing is on human beings and that is not right, that is why i am not taking it. >> at the moment? you did? >> he can get some passersby to talk to him, but it is difficult to convince those who flat-out reject the idea of getting the jab. british health authorities have launched social media campaigns to combat conspiracy theories and vaccination myths. >> the language we use, the

messenger reuse, and the message. i think for all of those the messenger may be e of the mt important. if it is a trusted community member they trust and n relate to who looks like them, someone he speaks the same language has them, it isore easyo build rapport and understand what they are saying. >> i have taken a vaccine. >> he does not ignore the argument vaccine could have side effects. he puts it into perspective, saying that millions of people have had no major complications, and, he cites scientific studies. >> i cannot impose my opinion but i can help to say look, do not take my word for it. here are places you can look. you have your source of information and here are others, get a balance you. >> he was able to convince his own mother to change her mind. brent: it is considered one of the most effective coronavirus shots.

now scientists say they have hacked the genetic sequence behind moderna's revolutionary mrna vaccine and share the code with the world online and for free. the stanford university researchers sequenced moderna's patented drug by studying left over vaccine vials, with permission from u.s. authorities. mrna is the key mechanism used in the vaccine that tear -- that triggers the bodies cells to defeat the coronavirus. my colleague has been following this story. if i have a lab at home can i now make the moderna vaccine for myself? >> it depends how much money are spending on that lab and i think the short answer is no, it is not possible. you might think it given that github has a reputation as a place where onlinehacktivists post open-source computer codes which will allow you to download

programs that are typically copyrighted for free. now stanford scientists posted at there and it looks like you might be able to download the sequence for the fact is that it is a complex, biological construct, that needs to be made using a very complex and sophisticated supply chain, that involves a lot of money, laboratory equipped and you probably will not have in your breaking bad trailer in the backyard. [laughter] so the short answer is, no, it is not going to be easy for anyone to duplicate this, with anything that is accessible. brent: if it is complex and complicated, what is behind publishing it? why make it public? >> their reason was simple, that this is a biological component now found in large percentage of the human population. people of had the moderna vaccine and it hangs around for a while. so this is important for researchers who want to know exactly what this is, how it is sequenced. especially for researchers on covid-19 and other vaccines,

they are looking at patients and see mrna in the patient they want to know, is this from the patient, from their body or from the virus, covid-19, or from the moderna vaccine? now they can look the sequence posted online and say this is that, and not something else. brent: but i am wondering, are we talking about intellectual property rights being violated here? doesn't moderna, don't they have patent protection on that sequencing that makes this vaccine? >> they do have a patent on that. the question is whether just showing people what the sequences, is a violation of the patent rights? it does not look like it is. if you can say what i mercedes bend is made out of, it does not look like you are violating a patent by just saying what it is. that is what this code is, showing other scientists this is what we have found the mrna to be sequenced as. and the scientists alerted moderna to their project and moderna did not object to it. brent: so there's no secret

recipe here. thank you. they say laughter is the best medicine. but, for those facing oppression, it can also be a way to process trauma. here in germany, a group of jewish cartoonists published a book ironically called, anti-semitism for beginners. >> that is odd, mr. gober. your account is in the red, surprising given your surname. >> you are converting to judaism, why? >> we want to become part of a global conspiracy. >> these are some satirical concerns -- cartoons found in anti-semitism for beginners, which pokes fun at anti-jewish stereotypes. the writer who has german rates but came up with the book project at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. >> immediately, old conspiracy theories started circulate in,

like, the jews are to blame for the coronavirus. that really bothered me. so i told myself i no longer want to get angry, i want to laugh about this instead. >> hello, commit. -- come in. >> this russian jewish novelist lives in berlin for 30 years, his works about everyday life have one millions of fans. he contributed a satirical sex and said humor is perfect for countering -- a satirical text and said that humor is perfect for countering anti-semitic conspiracy theories. >> it is nice to imagine our planet does not circle the sun but someone is directing, communicative and controlling everything. but i do not think it is the jews. at least, not the ones i know. ♪ [singing in foreign language]

>> performing a song, the jews are to blame, mocking nazi anti-semitism. the german composer and humorist was forced to flee to the u.s.. berlin's hollander square has been named in his honor. vivian often performs hollander's song and has contributed a satirical text to the anthology. >> whether it is a virus spreading or a runny nose, a failed relief package or heavy cough, whether climate change or rising sea levels, whether a prolonged holiday or wages cut, the jews are to blame, the jews are to blame for everything. >> she says humor is the best way to tackle anti-semitism. >> because it is so grotesque and absurd, that 75 years after

the end of the war, we are still asking ourselves, have people learn from the past? and you feel that no, they have not. that is whitemariam's -- that is why miram's book is so fantastic. because of the end of the day, laughter is the best medicine. >> she plans to continue publishing books that provide a humorous and lighthearted take on jewish life. ♪ [klezmer music] brent: weddings are usually happy places and it has been 20 years since the world's first official same-sex weddings took place in the netherlands. what seemed revolutionary then is now routine, and many countries. but not all countries. we have this report. >> these were the four gay couples who made history on april 1, 2001, when they tied the knot officially at city in amsterdam.

[applause] garrett and dolph were one of the married couples that day. now, 20 years later, they look back at the media attention they got. back then, it was much more about taking a stand and going public. >> it was more and more clear it was a very special event and party, and it was very important actually. so at the end i said, ok, i will be with you. it is needed, that some people stand up and say, we are marrying now. >> the netherlands is the first country to officially recognize same-sex couples, and allow them to marry. since then, same-sex marriage it is now legal i28 cntries worldwide, as well as the se-governing island of taiwan.

most of western europe allows it. much of eastern europe does not. other nations that have followed the netherlands' example include the united states, ken, britain and australia, south africa is the only african country to do so. roadblocks continue. two weeks ago, the vatican declared the catholic church will not bless same-sex unions. it said god cannot lessen. despite -- bless sin. despite obstacles, they are happy to have played a role in the road to equality. >> . very proud very proud. >> that we could play a little part in history. >> history, yes. >> they also made the journey successfully. but it is often still a long road ahead for many gay couples around the world. brent: a married couple there.

europe's biggest volcano, italy's mount etna burst into action again. take a look. streams of lava spewed out of volcano, creating ash clouds kilometers high. flights from one airport have been stopped. this is the latest eruption since amount came back to life in february. mount etna is one of three active and hot volcanoes in italy. you are watching "dw news." i will be back to take you through that day after a short break. america's superpower, super infrastructure project, why it matters to the world. we will be right back. ♪

r >> you're watching france 24.

these are the headlines.e 24. at 10:00 p.m. paris time. the army's takeover in myanmar. generals shut down wireless services, after the leader is charged with violating the country's colonial era official secrets law. who, criticizing europe's vaccination efforts against the coronavirus as being unacceptably slow.

drug manufacturing needs to be sped