Myanmar coup- violent crackdown failed to stop pro-democracy protests
53 people killed and 1,700 arrested so far by Myanmar security forces
Myanmar saw its largest nationwide protests since the military
coup on February 01, with hundreds of thousands of people demonstrating in the
streets and businesses shutting down across the country. The pro-democracy
movement has also started the campaign to boycott the products of military run
businesses.
Monday’s protests are the latest in five weeks long civil disobedience campaign that erupted in response to the February 1 takeover by Myanmar’s military that saw the country’s civilian leaders detained and ended the country’s decade-long experiment with quasi-democratic governance.
Major towns are already full with people on the streets as
they protests against military coup. Monday’s demonstrations — which some are
calling the five twos, or the ‘22222’ movement — saw hundreds of thousands
of protesters take to the streets of Myanmar’s cities; stores, banks, and fast
food chains shut down in solidarity. Protesters chose the date because it
echoes August 08, 1988(8-8-88) movement against military rule, which the
military suppressed in a bloody crackdown in which more than 3,000 people were
killed and thousands arrested.
The military junta continues to impose internet and
communications blackouts, an attempt to prevent people from organizing.
Activists also worry that the blackouts may give authorities cover to try to
arrest protesters and other political organizers.
The protesters are demanding the end of the military junta
and the restoration of the democratically elected civilian government, led by
Aung San Suu Kyi. Suu Kyi and her party, the National League for Democracy, won
overwhelmingly in elections in November.
But just as the new government was set to be sworn in, the
military interceded and insisted the election results were invalid because of
widespread voter fraud. Neither the country’s Union Election Commission nor
international observers found evidence of widespread irregularities that would
have changed the outcome of the vote. Still, the military has claimed that it will
retain control until it can host new elections in a year.
But Myanmar’s civilians have met the military’s actions with sustained resistance, pulling from a wide swath of Myanmar’s, population including students, doctors, journalists, political activists, teachers, labour unions and government employees.
At least eight journalists in Myanmar have been detained by
authorities while covering protests against a coup that took place last month.
Six of those journalists, including 32-year-old Associated Press reporter Thein
Zaw, have been charged with violating a public order law.
Members of Myanmar
have persecuted ethnic and religious minority groups — who still faced
repression under Suu Kyi’s leadership has joined the protests. Protesters
have also called out the military’s repression of the Rohingya and other
minority groups in a remarkable show of solidarity.
The defiance shown by people of Myanmar has surprised the military leadership. They were not expecting such a strong and widespread resistance. The military has ruled Myanmar with iron hand in last six decades.
Khalid Bhatti
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