'Like martial law': Pinoy chef reveals life in Yangon

A Filipino chef living in Myanmar said life in the capital city of Yangon remains quiet despite news of air strikes and bombings in parts of the country. 

Allan Residuo, a resident of Yangon for the last 3 years, said there are strict protocols in place from the government and the Philippine embassy to ensure the safety of residents. 

"Dito sa Yangon, wala kaming nararamdaman. Sobrang higpit dito. May protocol ang military," he said in a TeleRadyo interview, adding that the airstrikes are not in Yangon. 

He added that Yangon has a strict 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. curfew and that Filipinos do not join the rallies against the military junta. 

"We are here to work, so we don't participate," he said. 

The Southeast Asian country has been in crisis since the army seized power on Feb. 1, ending a decade of tentative steps towards democracy and triggering outrage at home and abroad and the setting up of People's Defense Forces (PDFs) to take on the military. 

There has been an upsurge in bloodshed in areas like Sagaing after the underground NUG declared an uprising on Sept. 7 and called on PDFs to target the junta and its assets.

Earlier in the conflict, the military had at times shut down the internet, particularly in cities, in a bid to curb demonstrations.

With Reuters