Massive street demonstrations in Myanmar entered their second week on Saturday with neither the protesters nor the military government they seek to unseat showing signs of backing down from the fighting.
Protesters in Yangon, the country’s largest city, once again gathered at the Hleden intersection, a key crossroads from which groups dispersed to other points, including the US and Chinese embassies. They marched despite an order prohibiting gatherings of five or more people.
The United States, especially after President Joe Biden’s announcement of sanctions against the military regime, is considered an ally in the protesters’ fight against the February 1 coup. China is hated as an ally of the ruling generals, whose support is crucial for them to maintain their grip on power.
Demonstrations also resumed in the second largest city, Mandalay, with lawyers forming a large contingent.
The army overthrew the country’s leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, and her government and prevented newly elected lawmakers from opening a new session of Parliament. Suu Kyi and other senior officials in her government and party continue to be detained.
The board headed by Major General Min Aung Hlaing said it was forced to act because Suu Kyi’s government failed to properly investigate allegations of fraud in last year’s election, which his National League for Democracy party won overwhelmingly. The electoral commission said there is no evidence to support the military’s claims.
The protests on Saturday coincided with the birthday of General Aung San, the country’s independence leader and father of Suu Kyi. His name and image have appeared on posters carried by some protesters.
Authorities have stepped up arrests of politicians and activists, and in areas outside Yangon they have become more aggressive in trying to break up protests.
According to the independent Political Prisoners Assistance Association, at least 326 people have been detained since the coup, of whom 303 remain in custody.
There have been many reports during the last three nights of curfew raids in which security personnel have tried to detain people from their homes.
In several cases, neighbors and others have rushed to the scene in such numbers that security forces have abandoned their attempts to capture their targets. Videos of such raids have been widely posted on social media.
The prisoners’ association also said riot police fired rubber bullets, wounding five students and taking nine others at a protest Friday in the southern city of Mawlamyine.
“Family members are left without knowledge of the charges, location or condition of their loved ones,” he said in a statement.
“These are not isolated incidents and the nightly raids are targeting dissenting voices. It’s happening across the country. “
Those detained include political leaders, government officials, civil servants, activists and student leaders. Medical personnel have been singled out because their community initiated the campaign of civil disobedience against the military takeover and remains at the forefront.
The army ruled directly for five decades after a 1962 coup and used lethal force to put down a 1988 mass uprising and a 2007 revolt led by Buddhist monks.
The UN’s top human rights body on Friday passed a consensus resolution urging the military to immediately release Suu Kyi and other civilian government leaders while watering down a draft text amid pressure from China and Russia.
In a special session at the Human Rights Council in Geneva, the original resolution tabled by Britain and the European Union was revised to remove calls to strengthen the ability of a UN rights expert to scrutinize Myanmar and the restraint of the army. from the country.
After the updated resolution was passed unopposed, Chinese Ambassador Chen Xu thanked the sponsors for “adopting our recommendations,” but said China was still distancing itself from the measure.
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She is a freelance blogger, writer, and speaker, and writes for various entertainment magazines.