Myanmar Anti-Coup Protests Rise High

Myanmar’s Anti-Coup Protests Rise High

Myanmar’s capital Naypyitaw witnessed a huge civil disobedience campaign today. Hundreds of government workers, doctors, teachers, railway workers and others joined the march.

February 10 is the most violent day in demonstrations against a coup. Protesters were hurt in Mandalay and other cities, where security forces used water cannon as well to stop demonstrators from protesting.

The protests are the largest in Myanmar since 2011 when the army rule ended. But, again now, the army took power citing unsubstantiated allegations of fraud. Myanmar’s army outraged the democratically elected Suu Nkyi. Suu Nkyi’s NLD party won Nov. 8 elections in a landslide margin.

Also, read | Military Coup In Myanmar (Burma)

Suu Kyi won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 for campaigning for democracy. Suu Kyi spent nearly 15 years under house arrest before she got into power. However, she was internationally criticised over the Muslim Rohingya minority issue in the country.

Protesters’ demands now go beyond reversing the coup. They seek the abolition of a 2008 constitution drawn up under military supervision that gave the generals a veto in parliament and control of several ministries, and for a federal system in ethnically diverse Myanmar.

United Nations

The UN called on Myanmar’s security forces to respect people’s right to protest peacefully. A U.N. representative in Myanmar, Ola Almgren said –

The use of disproportionate force against demonstrators is unacceptable,

United States of America

U.S. spokesman Ned Price in Washington said –

We repeat our calls for the military to relinquish power, restore democratically elected government, release those detained and lift all telecommunication restrictions and to refrain from violence,

However, the U.S. State Department stated that it is reviewing assistance to Myanmar to ensure those responsible for the coup face significant consequences.

Both the UN and the USA have condemned the use of force against the protesters who took the streets against the coup. They have also demanded that the National leaders of Myanmar – Suu Kyi and others who were detained by the Army should be freed.

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