Large-scale demonstrations have erupted in Myanmar’s capital Naypyidaw and across the country, with authorities firing rubber bullets at protesters in southern Irrawaddy. A Chinese expatriate in Yangon told the station that authorities had blocked offshore websites for a week and resumed them this Sunday. Locals believe the protests could escalate further at any Time.
Last Saturday and this Sunday, Burmese people launched massive demonstrations to protest the military coup and demand the junta’s immediate release of State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint. Demonstrators continued to gather in parts of Yangon through Monday, with the military using water cannon trucks to disperse the crowds.
Thousands of people participated in Sunday’s demonstrations. A video uploaded to Facebook by a Burmese netizen showed protesters holding a photo of Aung San Suu Kyi and demanding that the military government release her, while others held up a three-finger gesture. The government deployed riot police with shields to obstruct the protesters with a wire net formation in the streets near Yangon University, while water cannon trucks were on guard at the scene.
Local Chinese stay away from protest area to halt business activities
Mr. Zhang, an overseas Chinese businessman in Yangon, said in an interview with this station on Monday that the Internet has been intermittent for the past week, and he fears that there will be a larger demonstration at any time: “It’s so chaotic, and I’m worried about becoming a target of retaliation for leaving, but it’s useless to worry. The Internet has been disconnected for seven or eight days, and no software is available. Now Myanmar is so chaotic, where can I do business.”
According to several media reports, in the southern town of Ayeyarwady, a police officer fired at protesters for the first time to disperse the crowd, it is not known if anyone was injured. Online footage showed police firing at protesters in Ayeyarwady, on Myanmar’s border with Thailand, as the crowd dispersed.
There have also been demonstrations in Mandalay, Myanmar’s second largest city, where the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, Andrews, said earlier that more than 160 people have been arrested since the military seized power. It was the largest demonstration in Myanmar since 2007.
Chinese urge not to take to the streets to avoid reprisals
Mr. Song, a Burmese expatriate, said that most Burmese people support Daw Aung San Suu Kyi because the democratically elected government has “no choice”: “Although Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is a bowl of rancid rice, Maung Aung Hlaing (commander of the National Defense Force) is a bowl of shit, and it is better to eat rancid rice than to eat shit. The 1988 constitution provides for the military to have oversight, but in the end it depends on how exactly this problem can be solved. It’s best for the Chinese to stay off the streets now to avoid reprisals.”
The Myanmar National League for Democracy, led by Aung San Suu Kyi, confirmed that Yangon Governor Drift Myint Teng and Mandalay Governor Zaw Min Maung were again taken into custody by the military.
On Feb. 1, the Burmese military staged a coup and arrested Aung San Suu Kyi, the senior minister of state and substantive leader of the government, and others.
Mr. Zhang said the Burmese military has a history of suppressing mass demonstrations, and he fears that the situation will deteriorate further and eventually turn into a tragedy.
Recent Comments