Myanmar excluded from WHO annual meeting

Faced with the dilemma of who to recognise as Myanmar's legitimate representative following February's coup, World Health Organization members yesterday opted to exclude the country from their annual assembly. The 74th World Health Assembly had received requests from both Myanmar's ousted civilian authorities and the military junta that seized power nearly four months ago to represent the country. This year's gathering of the WHO's main decision-making body, which began Monday and lasts through June 1, is considered one of the most important ever as the Covid-19 pandemic rages on. Myanmar has been in turmoil since the February 1 putsch, which has sparked near-daily protests and a nationwide civil disobedience movement.