Myanmar streets empty in protest on coup anniversary
Streets emptied and shops closed in protest across Myanmar on Wednesday, the second anniversary of the coup that toppled Aung San Suu Kyi's government, with the junta hinting it may extend a state of emergency and delay new elections.
Myanmar has been in turmoil since the military's power grab and bloody crackdown on dissent, which has sparked fighting across the country and tanked the economy.
Western powers launched a fresh broadside of sanctions against the generals on the anniversary but previous rounds have shown little sign of throwing the junta off course. Streets in the commercial hub Yangon largely emptied from late morning, AFP correspondents said, after activists called for people across the Southeast Asian country to close businesses and stay indoors from 10am to 4pm.
Roads leading to the famous Shwedagon pagoda — a Buddhist shrine that dominates Yangon's skyline and is usually thronged by worshippers — were largely deserted. Most buses on roads elsewhere in the city were empty and there was a heavy security presence.
It was similarly quiet in the second city of Mandalay, a resident told AFP. "There are a few people walking here and there in neighbourhoods but almost no activity on the main roads," the resident said, requesting anonymity. Local media images also showed empty streets in the eastern city of Mawlamyine.
Around 200 supporters of the military marched through Yangon's historic downtown in the early afternoon, escorted part of the way by soldiers, correspondents said.
The US embassy in the city warned of "increased anti-regime activity and violence" in the days around the anniversary. Around 400 protesters gathered outside Myanmar's embassy in Bangkok, some chanting slogans against the military and holding portraits of Suu Kyi.
The military justified its February 1, 2021, power grab with unsubstantiated claims of widespread fraud in elections democracy figurehead Suu Kyi's party won in a landslide.
A junta-imposed state of emergency was due to expire at the end of January, after which the constitution states that authorities must set in motion plans to hold fresh elections. The military was widely expected to announce on Wednesday that it would prepare for the polls. But on Tuesday, the juntastacked National Defence and Security Council met to discuss the state of the nation and concluded it "has not returned to normalcy yet".