Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Myanmar: Thousands take to the streets of Yangon to protest against military coup amid internet blackout

Protesters - factory workers and students prominent among them - show their opposition to the army takeover.

Thousands of people have taken to the streets of Yangon to denounce Myanmar's military coup and demand the release of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other leaders of her National League for Democracy.

It appears to be the largest demonstration since the power grab on Monday.

A young protester joins demonstrators in the commercial capital of Yangon


"Against military dictatorship" read the banner at the front of the march, as protesters chanted: "Military dictator, fail, fail; Democracy, win, win."

The protesters - factory workers and students prominent among them - marched on Saturday morning through the country's biggest city.

By noon, more than 100 police in riot gear had been deployed to block them from moving ahead.

More than 100 police in riot gear block the road to stop protesters marching forward


The military junta has tried to silence dissent by temporarily blocking Facebook and extended the social media crackdown to Twitter and Instagram on Saturday in the face of the growing protest movement.

Authorities ordered internet providers to deny access to Twitter and Instagram "until further notice", said Norwegian mobile phone company Telenor Asa.


Demand for VPNs has soared in Myanmar, allowing some people to evade the ban, but users reported more general disruption to mobile data services, which most people in the country of 53 million rely on for news and communications.

A girl protests against the military coup in Myanmar outside the United Nations in Bangkok


"We lost freedom, justice and urgently need democracy," wrote one Twitter user. "Please hear the voice of Myanmar."

Army chief Min Aung Hlaing seized power alleging fraud in a November election that the National League for Democracy won in a landslide. The electoral commission dismissed the army's accusations.


The junta announced a one-year state of emergency and has promised to hand over power after new elections, without giving a timeframe.

The takeover drew international condemnation with a United Nations Security Council call for the release of all detainees and targeted sanctions under consideration by Washington.

Aung San Suu Kyi has been charged with breaching import and export laws


Ms Suu Kyi, 75, has not been seen in public since the coup. She spent some 15 years under house arrest during a struggle against previous juntas before the troubled democratic transition began in 2011.

A lawyer for Ms Suu Kyi and ousted president Win Myint said they were being held in their homes and were still being questioned.

Ms Suu Kyi faces charges of breaching import and export laws while Mr Myint is accused of flouting coronavirus restrictions.

"Of course, we want unconditional release as they have not broken the law," said lawyer Khin Maung Zaw, who is representing them both.

Analysis by Siobhan Robbins, Southeast Asia correspondent


If Myanmar's generals thought they could silence democracy, they were wrong.

Yangon on Saturday saw the biggest protest since Monday's coup as thousands of people came on to the streets to demand their country back.

"Let the military dictatorship fall," they shouted, as they raised their hands in the three-finger salute of resistance.

Demonstrators in Yangon show the three-finger salute to protest against the military coup and demand Aung San Suu Kyi be released


It's a symbol taken from the Hunger Games books and previously adopted by pro-democracy activists in Thailand before being picked up by protesters across the border.

But this wasn't the picture the military wanted the people of Myanmar or the outside world to see - unsurprisingly, it seems generals who stage a coup d'etat don't like push back.

First they restricted Facebook in an attempt to stop people from mobilising. When that didn't work, Twitter and Instagram followed.

When all that failed, to try to keep people off the streets, today they tried to shut down the internet completely.

"It really should be cause for great international concern and I cannot emphasise that strongly enough," Amnesty International spokesperson, Kayleigh Long, told Sky News.

"This is a military with a history of impunity and committing grave human rights violations. We're hearing of round-ups of people - there are activists, journalists and civil society members in hiding. The situation there warrants grave concern and urgent action."

The anger of pro-democracy supporters has been growing all week.

It started with a tentative banging of pots and pans but is now a deafening freedom song.

"I feel heartbroken," one man told us. "I feel sad that the military ignores our voices and wishes."

By turning the internet off, the military has effectively pulled the shutters down on the outside world and the picture inside grows even murkier.

Myanmar's democratic dream is gravely wounded but this week the people have shown they won't give in, they will fight to keep it alive

So far, violence has been avoided, but the country's new leaders have overseen crackdowns before - and there are growing fears they will strike brutally when their patience runs out.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
International Astronaut Team Launched to Space Station
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
Oil Prices Set to Surge After US Strikes Iran
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
×