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Ongoing protests in Myanmar
© APA (AFP)
In the face of ongoing protests against the military coup in Myanmar, the army is targeting known leaders of the democracy movement. The military junta issued arrest warrants on Sunday for seven activists, some of whom have been campaigning for democracy in Myanmar for decades. Through state media, the police called on citizens to provide information on the seven activists. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of people took to the streets across the country on Sunday.
The wanted list included Min Ko Naing, who had been arrested during earlier protests against the military junta in 1988. The then student was later imprisoned for more than ten years. Only on Saturday did he warn in a message on Facebook’s online service that the army was “arresting people at night.” He also warned against army violence against protesters.
Meanwhile, tens of thousands of people again protested in Myanmar against the military coup. In the economic metropolis of Yangon (Rangoon), white-clad students marched uniformly through the city center on Sunday, calling for the release of de facto head of government and Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi on banners. In addition, a parade of buses rolled slowly and noisily through the streets. A convoy of cars and motorcycles passed through the capital, Naypyidaw. There were also protests in other cities.
Many participants put up posters calling for “an end to the night abduction of people.” More than 384 people have been detained since the February 1 coup, announced the human rights group Association of Assistance for Political Prisoners. It speaks of a wave of arrests, which mostly take place at night. Suu Kyi has also been arrested. His pretrial detention expires on Monday. She is accused of illegally importing and using radio equipment. It was unclear how it should proceed in his case.
The military, however, restricted freedoms with new regulations. In the future, residents will need to inform authorities about night visitors. Otherwise, there is a risk of fines or even prison sentences. In case of suspicion, people and private property can also be searched without a court order.
Many people feared arrests, as well as further acts of violence and crime after the junta ordered the release of thousands of prisoners on Friday. The military had justified the measure as support to “build a new democratic state with peace, development and discipline” that “would please the public.” However, rumors have emerged on online social media that the military may be using criminals to try to cause a riot. A comparison was made with the protests of the democratic movement in 1988, when the military was accused of smuggling criminals in the protests to organize attacks and then using them as justification for an increase in power.
The military had staged a coup on February 1, the day the newly elected parliament met for its first session. Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) party clearly won the November parliamentary elections. The military does not recognize it and speaks of electoral fraud. The vote was only the second free and fair election since the end of direct military rule in 2011 after 49 years. Nobel Peace Prize winner Suu Kyi spent 15 years under house arrest during this time.
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