Cops fire water cannons, suspected to be laced with chemicals, at protestors
YANGON: Police fired a water cannon Monday at hundreds of protesters in Myanmar's capital who are demanding the militar y hand power back to elected officials. According to DailyMail, protesters were blasted with a suspected chemical-laced water cannon today as massive crowds staged a third straight day of rallies to voice their anger at last week's militar y coup. The demonstrations in Naypyitaw, ongoing for several days, are especially significant since the city, whose population includes many civil ser vants and their families, has no tradition of protest and has a heavy militar y presence.
A protest also swelled at a major downtown intersection in the countr y's largest city, Yangon, with people chanting slogans, raising a three-finger salute that is a symbol of resistance and carr ying placards saying, "Reject the militar y coup" and "Justice for Myanmar." There were also reports of new demonstrations in towns in the north, southeast and east of the countr y, as well as in the city of Mandalay, where there was a procession of marchers and motorbikes.
"We do not want the militar y junta," said Daw Moe, a protester in Yangon. "We never ever wanted this junta. Nobody wants it. All the people are ready to fight them." State media for the first time on Monday made reference to the protests, claiming they were endangering the countr y's stability. "Democracy can be destroyed if there is no discipline," according to a statement from the Ministr y of Information, read on state television station MRTV. "We will have to take legal actions to prevent acts that are violating state stability, public safety and the rule of law."
‘ We do not want the military junta. We never ever wanted this junta. Nobody wants it. All the people are ready to fight them.
Daw Moe, protestor
‘ Democracy can be destroyed if there is no discipline. W e will have to take legal actions to prevent acts that are violating state stability, public safety and the rule of law .
Ministry of Information, Myanmar