BANGKOK (AP) — A United Nations report says political turmoil and disruptions following the coup in Myanmar could undo years of progress and double the number of its people living in poverty to nearly half the population. The report by the U.N. Development Program said 12 million people could fall into dire economic straits as businesses remain shuttered in a standoff between the junta and a mass civil disobedience movement. The Feb. 1 coup wrested power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. Since then, the military has imposed severe restrictions on internet access and gradually stepped up violent repression of protests. That has worsened already bleak conditions due to the pandemic.
