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A Myanmar court brought another charge against the ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Monday (March 1), said a lawyer representing her, as protesters marched in defiance of a crackdown by security forces that killed at least 18 people on yesterday.
Suu Kyi appeared healthy when she participated in a court hearing by video conference in the capital Naypyidaw, although she may have lost some weight, and asked to see her legal team, lawyer Min Min Soe told Reuters.
The leader of the National League for Democracy (NLD) has not been seen in public since her government was overthrown in a military coup on February 1 and she was detained along with other party leaders.
She was initially charged with illegally importing six walkie-talkie radios. Later, a charge was added of violating a natural disaster law by violating coronavirus protocols.
On Monday, a charge was added under a section of the colonial-era penal code that prohibits the publication of information that may “cause fear or alarm” or disturb the “public tranquility,” Min Min Soe said.
The next hearing will be on March 15th.
When Suu Kyi appeared at the court hearing by videoconference, Yangon main city police used stun grenades and tear gas to disperse the protesters, witnesses said, a day after the worst violence since the coup.
Protesters marched in Myanmar on Monday in defiance of a deadly crackdown by security forces a day earlier, as calls for a more united international response grow after the worst violence since a coup began a month ago.
Police with water cannons and military vehicles mobilized at protest hotspots in Yangon, as protesters marched in Kale, northwest Myanmar, holding photographs of the ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and shouting: “Democracy, our cause , our cause. “
A live video on Facebook showed a small crowd wearing helmets gathered across a street in Lashio, Shan state, chanting slogans as police marched towards them.
“It has been a month since the coup. Yesterday they repressed us with shots. We will go out again today,” prominent protest leader Ei Thinzar Maung posted on Facebook.
At least 18 people were killed when clashes broke out in various parts of the country on Sunday, according to the UN human rights office. Police opened fire on crowds in the largest city of Yangon after tear gas and warning shots failed to clear protesters demanding the restoration of Aung San Suu Kyi’s government.
A protester uses a fire extinguisher as security forces suppress demonstrations against the military coup in Yangon AFP / Sai Aung Main
Myanmar has been in chaos since the army seized power and detained the elected leader and much of her NLD party leaders on February 1, citing fraud in the November elections that her party won hands down. devastating.
LEE: At least 18 dead, says the UN human rights office, while the Myanmar police repress the protests for the second day
READ: US warns of ‘additional actions’ on Myanmar coup and violent crackdown
The coup, which halted tentative steps towards democracy after nearly 50 years of military rule, has drawn hundreds of thousands of protesters to the streets and condemnation of Western countries.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken condemned what he called “abominable violence” by the security forces, while Canadian Foreign Minister Marc Garneau said the use of deadly force by the military against his own people it is “dreadful”. They both asked for a united response.
Tom Andrews, the United Nations special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, said it was clear that the junta’s attack would continue, so the international community should step up its response.
He proposed a global arms embargo, more sanctions from more countries to those behind the coup, sanctions on military business and a referral from the UN Security Council to the International Criminal Court.
“Words of condemnation are welcome but insufficient. We must act,” Andrews said in a statement.
“The nightmare in Myanmar unfolding before our eyes will get worse. The world must act.”
READ: Myanmar’s ambassador to the UN vows to continue fighting after the junta fires him
People marked the deaths of the protesters with red and white roses, surrounding with yellow, white and pink flowers the place in front of a school where a protester died.
Small memorials were held for the victims, with candles lit in front of the houses on Sunday night.
“WE WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU”
Some protesters on Monday called for the destruction of surveillance cameras used by authorities and shared pepper spray recipes on social media.
Others made metal shields for those on the front lines, who faced policemen and soldiers with all their battle gear. Some of the security forces belonged to units notorious for harsh repression of ethnic rebel groups.
Unarmed protesters using makeshift shields against Myanmar security forces AFP / Sai Aung Main
Along a highway in Yangon, protesters taped hundreds of photos of the junta leader, Min Aung Hlaing, to the ground with the words “Shame on you, dictator, we will never forgive you.”
A committee representing lawmakers who won seats in the November election said at least 26 people were killed in Sunday’s violence, which Reuters could not verify.
“The excessive use of force and other violations committed by the military junta are being recorded and will be held accountable,” he said.
The military has not commented on Sunday’s violence and police and military spokesmen did not respond to calls.
In a post dated February 28, the state network Global New Light of Myanmar warned that “severe measures will inevitably be taken” against “lawless mobs” that the military could not ignore, despite having previously shown restraint.
The Association for Assistance to Political Prisoners said at least 270 people were detained on Sunday, out of a total of 1,132 who it said had been arrested, charged or sentenced since the coup.
Some witnesses said they saw people beaten by police before they were taken away on Sunday.
Security forces intensify their use of force against democracy protesters on February 28, 2021. (Photo: AFP / STR)
US Secretary of State Blinken said Sunday that the United States strongly supported the people of Myanmar.
“(We encourage) all countries to speak with one voice in support of their will,” he said on Twitter.
The challenge to the coup has emerged not only in the streets, but more broadly in the civil service, municipal administration, the judiciary, the education and health sectors, and the media.
Activists from across Asia staged supportive protests, with the “Milk Tea Alliance” rallying cry, which brought together pro-democracy activists in Thailand and Hong Kong for the first time.
While some Western countries have imposed limited sanctions, generals have traditionally ignored diplomatic pressure. They promised to hold new elections but did not set a date.
