Myanmar: tens of thousands march against military coup for second day
Demonstrators in Myanmar have vowed to continue their protests until their elected leaders are released and democracy returns, as tens of thousands of people poured on to the streets of towns and cities across the country for a second day.
Large crowds gathered in the main city of Yangon and elsewhere, condemning the military for ousting the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in a coup.
“Today is about Myanmar’s democracy,” said one protester, Myint Oo, 23. “Our hero Aung San Suu Kyi and our president U Win Myint must be freed.
“There may be soldiers tomorrow, but I am not afraid,” he said, adding that he would return to the streets.
Aung San Suu Kyi and Win Myint have not been seen in public since they were detained in early morning raids last Monday. Their party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), won a thumping election victory in November but the military has refused to accept the results of the vote. It has alleged widespread electoral fraud, a claim observers have rejected.
The junta blocked internet access for about 24 hours from Saturday afternoon in an attempt to stop protests, but large crowds continued to join the biggest demonstrations in the country since the 2007 “saffron revolution”, when thousands of Buddhist monks marched against military rule.
By mid-morning on Sunday protesters had taken to the streets in Yangon, as well as in the city of Mandalay in central Myanmar and the coastal town of Mawlamyine in the southeast. Hundreds more camped overnight outside a police station in the town of Payathonzu in Karen state, where local NLD politicians were reportedly arrested. They remained outside on Sunday morning, singing pro-democracy songs, Reuters reported.
“We will protest until our lady and our president have been released and reinstated. We know it is dangerous but we will continue to protest. We want
our lady to be safe,” said Htet Thar, who protested in Yangon.
People marched from across the city to Sule Pagoda, a rallying point for previous protest movements, raising their hands in a three-finger salute, a gesture used by pro-democracy activists in neighbouring Thailand, which signals opposition to the military. Many wore red shirts or carried red balloons, the colour of the NLD. As they walked through the city drivers sounded their horns, while young children who were passing by with their families waved small NLD flags.
“Are we united? Yes we are!” crowds of people chanted.
“This is our last chance to get rid of this evil dictatorship. If we don’t destroy the root of it now, then it will be easier for them to continue the dictatorship again,” said Hnin, 24. “We must keep protesting for our freedom. We are worried about our future, and for the future generation. We may lose our jobs as freelancers and small businesses won’t be able to operate.”
Sunday’s protest was the biggest yet, but it is not clear if people will continue to come out in such large numbers during the working week.
Protests have been largely peaceful, though in one video taken on Sunday shots were heard as police broke up a demonstration in the south-eastern town of Myawaddy, according to Reuters. The video showed uniformed police armed with guns rushing at a crowd of a couple of hundred people. It is unclear what kind of munitions were used or whether there were any casualties.
In Yangon, protesters, who hope to get the police on side, have given officers fizzy drinks, cakes and other refreshments. On Saturday afternoonsome sat and smoked cigarettes with police.
A civil disobedience campaign has also grown in recent days, with many doctors and teachers refusing to work. Every evening the din of clanging metal rings out across Yangon as residents smash pots and pans in solidarity. A revolutionary song from the 1988 pro-democracy movement is also sung across the city.
The country previously spent half a century under military rule before it began to move to a more democratic system in 2011. The coup on Monday brought the country’s democratic transition to an abrupt end, and revived bleak memories of life under repressive military regimes.
More than 160 people have been arrested since the military seized power, according to Thomas Andrews, the United Nations special rapporteur on Myanmar, who called for the junta to allow him and other rights experts to visit the country. Andrews also urged the UN human rights council to convene a special session to address the crisis.
“The generals are now attempting to paralyse the citizen movement of resistance – and keep the outside world in the dark – by cutting virtually all internet access,” he said.
Cuts to phone lines, as well as a near-total internet shutdown, have hampered efforts by media and rights groups to monitor developments. They have also allowed rumours to spread rapidly. On Saturday night crowds began celebrating on the streets after false reports said Aung San Suu Kyi had been released. Her lawyer later clarified this was not the case.
Aung San Suu Kyi faces charges of illegally importing walkie-talkies, which could lead to two years in prison. Win Myint is accused of breaching coronavirus laws by meeting people on the campaign trail.
The internet monitoring group Netblocks said on Sunday afternoon that there had been a “partial restoration of internet connectivity” from about 2pm local time, but that social media was still blocked.