Demonstrators hold posters of detained Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi during the ongoing protest against the military coup.

Myanmar: Protests show no signs of letting up

In Myanmar, protests show no signs of letting up despite internet shutdowns. Myanmar's people are protesting against the February 1 military coup and demand that the Aung San Suu Kyi and members of her ousted government be freed from detention.

Swarms of thousands of protesters marched the streets in Myanmar on Wednesday while continuing to reject the army’s claims that the people support the coup.

The army asserted that people had given support to overthrowing Aung San Suu Kyi. But the protesters vehemently deny this, while also reasserting that they will not give in to the military rule.

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The police recently filed a fresh charge Suu Kyi, which could extend her detention indefinitely. And critics of the coup do not readily trust assurances given by the junta.

Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace laureate has been detained since the beginning of the coup. She now faces the charge of violating a Natural Disaster Management Law, along with charges of illegally importing six walkie talkie radios. The next hearing is scheduled for March 1.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/south-asia/myanmar-military-blocks-internet-for-third-consecutive-night-amid-protests-364140" hreflang="en">Myanmar military blocks internet for third consecutive night amid protests</a>

"We love democracy and hate the junta," Sithu Maung, an democratically elected member of Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) said during a protest at the Sule Pagoda in Yangon. "We must be the last generation to experience a coup”, Maung said.

Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun, the spokesman for the council claimed on Tuesday that out of the 53 million people in Myanmar, 40 million support the military’s action.

Sithu Maung, while referring to that, said - "We're showing here that we're not in that 40 million”. On November 8, Suu Kyi’s party won the elections in the country. But the army claimed that the victory was fraudulent.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/south-asia/despite-coup-malaysia-to-deport-1200-myanmar-migrants-next-week-364090" hreflang="en">Despite coup, Malaysia to deport 1,200 Myanmar migrants next week</a>

The military also claims that it seized power in absolute sync with the country’s constitution, and that it remained committed to democratic rule.

"They said there was vote fraud but look at the people here," a protester was quoted by Reuters as saying.

Since February 6, the coup in Myanmar has triggered protests across different parts in the country. The takeover by the military has also been vehemently criticised by western governments, with anger flowing in especially from the US and the UK. The fresh charges against Suu Kyi have especially drawn ire.

(With inputs from Reuters)

Swarms of thousands of protesters marched the streets in Myanmar on Wednesday while continuing to reject the army’s claims that the people support the coup. The army asserted that people had given support to overthrowing Aung San Suu Kyi.

Swarms of thousands of protesters marched the streets in Myanmar on Wednesday while continuing to reject the army’s claims that the people support the coup. The army asserted that people had given support to overthrowing Aung San Suu Kyi. But the protesters vehemently deny this, while also reasserting that they will not give in to the military rule. The police recently filed a fresh charge Suu Kyi, which could extend her detention indefinitely. And critics of the coup do not readily trust assurances given by the junta. Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace laureate has been detained since the beginning of the coup. She now faces the charge of violating a Natural Disaster Management Law, along with charges of illegally importing six walkie talkie radios. The next hearing is scheduled for March 1. Also read: Myanmar military blocks internet for third consecutive night amid protests "We love democracy and hate the junta," Sithu Maung, an democratically elected member of Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) said during a protest at the Sule Pagoda in Yangon. "We must be the last generation to experience a coup”, Maung said. Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun, the spokesman for the council claimed on Tuesday that out of the 53 million people in Myanmar, 40 million support the military’s action. Sithu Maung, while referring to that, said - "We're showing here that we're not in that 40 million”. On November 8, Suu Kyi’s party won the elections in the country. But the army claimed that the victory was fraudulent. Also read: Despite coup, Malaysia to deport 1,200 Myanmar migrants next week The military also claims that it seized power in absolute sync with the country’s constitution, and that it remained committed to democratic rule. "They said there was vote fraud but look at the people here," a protester was quoted by Reuters as saying. Since February 6, the coup in Myanmar has triggered protests across different parts in the country. The takeover by the military has also been vehemently criticised by western governments, with anger flowing in especially from the US and the UK. The fresh charges against Suu Kyi have especially drawn ire. (With inputs from Reuters)

Protesters in Myanmar reconvene, reject military's claims of public support for coup

How military's infantry division shock troops have subjugated Myanmar

The citizens of Myanmar continue to write to WION. They seem determined to challenge the Military rule. Our Executive Editor WION's Palki Sharma reads some responses.

Gravitas: WION reads responses from Myanmar

On Sunday, armoured vehicles and trucks filled with soldiers were on the streets of Myanmar to 'crush the protests'. There was an internet shutdown- as the security forces cracked down on the citizens during the night. WION's Palki Sharma tells you what happened.

Gravitas: Myanmar's military is now on the streets

To put ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi under detention indefinitely without trial, police have filed a new charge against her in Myanmar, her lawyer said on Tuesday. &nbsp;

Lawyer Khin Maung Zaw told reporters after meeting with a judge in the capital, Naypyitaw, that Suu Kyi has been charged with violating Article 25 of the Natural Disaster Management Law, which has been used to prosecute people, who have broken coronavirus restrictions.&nbsp;

Suu Kyi, who was ousted in a military coup on February 1, has already been charged with possessing walkie-talkies that were imported without being registered.&nbsp;

The maximum punishment for the Covid-19 violation is three years' imprisonment. However, the new charge may allow her to be held indefinitely without trial because a change in the Penal Code instituted by the junta last week permits detention without court permission. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-monks-march-seek-end-to-military-rule-364052">Myanmar monks march, seek end to military rule</a>

On February 1, military overthrew the government of veteran democracy champion Suu Kyi. The army took power alleging that its complaints of fraud in a November 8 general election, in which Suu Kyi's party had won a landslide, were being ignored.&nbsp;

It guaranteed on Tuesday that it would hold an election and hand over power, denied its removal of the government was a coup or that its leaders were detained, and accused protesters of violence and intimidation.

To put ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi under detention indefinitely without trial, police have filed a new charge against her in Myanmar, her lawyer said on Tuesday.

To put ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi under detention indefinitely without trial, police have filed a new charge against her in Myanmar, her lawyer said on Tuesday. Lawyer Khin Maung Zaw told reporters after meeting with a judge in the capital, Naypyitaw, that Suu Kyi has been charged with violating Article 25 of the Natural Disaster Management Law, which has been used to prosecute people, who have broken coronavirus restrictions. Suu Kyi, who was ousted in a military coup on February 1, has already been charged with possessing walkie-talkies that were imported without being registered. The maximum punishment for the Covid-19 violation is three years' imprisonment. However, the new charge may allow her to be held indefinitely without trial because a change in the Penal Code instituted by the junta last week permits detention without court permission. Also Read: Myanmar monks march, seek end to military rule On February 1, military overthrew the government of veteran democracy champion Suu Kyi. The army took power alleging that its complaints of fraud in a November 8 general election, in which Suu Kyi's party had won a landslide, were being ignored. It guaranteed on Tuesday that it would hold an election and hand over power, denied its removal of the government was a coup or that its leaders were detained, and accused protesters of violence and intimidation.

Myanmar cops file new charge against Suu Kyi to extend detention indefinitely

A group of Buddhist monks marched against Myanmar's military junta on Tuesday, joining a campaign for an end to the generals' rule and for the release of detained leaders of the ousted elected government, including Aung San Suu Kyi.&nbsp;

About 20 monks in dark red robes walked through the streets of the main city of Yangon to a United Nations office, urging citizens to join their protest.&nbsp;

"I would like to request that all citizens help eliminate the power of the military dictatorship until we can get rid of this system," said one of the protesting monks, Sandar Thiri.&nbsp;

Monks held an English-language banner with the message: 'Monks. who don't want a military dictatorship'.&nbsp;

Some wore red masks to ward off the coronavirus and carried signs saying 'reject military coup'.&nbsp;

Thousands of people from all walks of life have come out onto the streets of towns and cities across the country to protest against the February 1 military overthrow of the government of veteran democracy champion Suu Kyi.&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-military-chokes-internet-for-second-consecutive-night-amid-protests-363909">Myanmar military chokes internet for second consecutive night amid protests</a>

Historically, monks in the predominately Buddhist country have helped organise communities, and at times led opposition to authority, in particular during British colonial rule.&nbsp;

Big pro-democracy protests in 2007 were called the 'Saffron Revolution' because of the prominent involvement of monks.&nbsp;

Those protests, though suppressed, ultimately led to the military's decision to gradually withdraw from politics, a process brought to a halt by this month's coup.&nbsp;

The army took power alleging that its complaints of fraud in a November 8 general election, in which Suu Kyi's party had won a landslide, were being ignored.&nbsp;

It guaranteed on Tuesday that it would hold an election and hand over power, denied its removal of the government was a coup or that its leaders were detained, and accused protesters of violence and intimidation.

A group of Buddhist monks marched against Myanmar's military junta on Tuesday, joining a campaign for an end to the generals' rule and for the release of detained leaders of the ousted elected government, including Aung San Suu Kyi.

A group of Buddhist monks marched against Myanmar's military junta on Tuesday, joining a campaign for an end to the generals' rule and for the release of detained leaders of the ousted elected government, including Aung San Suu Kyi. About 20 monks in dark red robes walked through the streets of the main city of Yangon to a United Nations office, urging citizens to join their protest. "I would like to request that all citizens help eliminate the power of the military dictatorship until we can get rid of this system," said one of the protesting monks, Sandar Thiri. Monks held an English-language banner with the message: 'Monks. who don't want a military dictatorship'. Some wore red masks to ward off the coronavirus and carried signs saying 'reject military coup'. Thousands of people from all walks of life have come out onto the streets of towns and cities across the country to protest against the February 1 military overthrow of the government of veteran democracy champion Suu Kyi. Also Read: Myanmar military chokes internet for second consecutive night amid protests Historically, monks in the predominately Buddhist country have helped organise communities, and at times led opposition to authority, in particular during British colonial rule. Big pro-democracy protests in 2007 were called the 'Saffron Revolution' because of the prominent involvement of monks. Those protests, though suppressed, ultimately led to the military's decision to gradually withdraw from politics, a process brought to a halt by this month's coup. The army took power alleging that its complaints of fraud in a November 8 general election, in which Suu Kyi's party had won a landslide, were being ignored. It guaranteed on Tuesday that it would hold an election and hand over power, denied its removal of the government was a coup or that its leaders were detained, and accused protesters of violence and intimidation.

Myanmar monks march, seek end to military rule

Myanmar's de facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, was arrested alongside other senior officials, after the military accused her party of rigging the November elections.

Myanmar: 77th battalion soldiers spotted on roads

Situation in Myanmar appeared to be worsening as military junta deployed armoured vehicles in major cities including Yangon on Monday. The military imposed hours-long internet blackout and extra troop movement was seen at key locations in Yangon. The military coup against Aung San Suu Kyi government has completed two weeks and there are no indications so far that the military wants to soften its stand against the protesters.

However, fresh protests again flared in Yangon on Monday morning, including near the central bank.

Meanwhile, Aung San Suu Kyi's lawyer has told the media that she will remain in custody till Wednesday (February 17). It was previously thought that her custody was to end on Monday (February 15).

At the Burmese central bank, several hundred protesters held up signs calling for colleagues to join the CDM - civil disobedience movement - and stated their refusal to accept the coup.

"The central bank is the life blood of the country's monetary system. Many soldiers and armoured vehicles are deployed at the bank as the military is concerned that the central bank is inactive," private bank staff, Nay Aung Lwin said.
<img alt="Myanmar protests" data-caption="Protesters hold up signs calling for the release of detained Myanmar civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi during a demonstration against the military coup in Naypyidaw on February 15, 2021.&lt;br /&gt;
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Hundreds of engineering and technology students protested in a northern district of the city, according to an AFP journalist.

There was a fresh rally in the southern city of Dawei too, a verified live stream on Facebook showed, with hundreds of protesters accompanied by a marching band.

Some carried banners against the military that read: "They kill in (the) day. They steal at night. They lie on TV."

Monitoring group NetBlocks reported that a "state-ordered information blackout" had taken Myanmar almost entirely offline, but services began resuming around the start of the working day.

"Network data show national connectivity rising to ordinary levels after information blackout," NetBlocks reported, adding that the outage lasted around eight hours.

But the monitor noted that most users in Myanmar were still barred from social media.
<img alt="Myanmar protests" data-caption="Protesters on scooters take part in a demonstration against the military coup in Naypyidaw on February 15, 2021." data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="44b69448-c7ef-4f56-b29b-7d4fb6c97c3c" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Myanmar%20protests%203.jpg" />
A joint statement from the US, British and European Union ambassadors urged security forces not to harm civilians.

"We call on security forces to refrain from violence against demonstrators, who are protesting the overthrow of their legitimate government," they said.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres echoed that call. Through his spokesman, he also asked the military to "urgently" allow Swiss diplomat Christine Schraner Burgener to visit Myanmar "to assess the situation first hand".

The US embassy advised American citizens to shelter in place and not risk defying an overnight curfew imposed by the regime.

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UN special rapporteur Tom Andrews said the junta's efforts to rein in the burgeoning protest movement was a sign of "desperation" and amounted to a declaration of war against its people.

"Attention generals: You WILL be held accountable," he wrote on Twitter.

Much of the country has been in uproar since soldiers detained Aung San Suu Kyi and her top political allies on February 1, ending a decade-old fledgling democracy after generations of junta rule.

The Nobel laureate spent years under house arrest during an earlier dictatorship and has not been seen in public since she was detained.

(With agency inputs)

Situation in Myanmar appeared to be worsening as military junta deployed armoured vehicles in major cities including Yangon on Monday. The military imposed hours-long internet blackout and extra troop movement was seen at key locations in Yangon.

Situation in Myanmar appeared to be worsening as military junta deployed armoured vehicles in major cities including Yangon on Monday. The military imposed hours-long internet blackout and extra troop movement was seen at key locations in Yangon. The military coup against Aung San Suu Kyi government has completed two weeks and there are no indications so far that the military wants to soften its stand against the protesters. However, fresh protests again flared in Yangon on Monday morning, including near the central bank. Meanwhile, Aung San Suu Kyi's lawyer has told the media that she will remain in custody till Wednesday (February 17). It was previously thought that her custody was to end on Monday (February 15). At the Burmese central bank, several hundred protesters held up signs calling for colleagues to join the CDM - civil disobedience movement - and stated their refusal to accept the coup. "The central bank is the life blood of the country's monetary system. Many soldiers and armoured vehicles are deployed at the bank as the military is concerned that the central bank is inactive," private bank staff, Nay Aung Lwin said. Hundreds of engineering and technology students protested in a northern district of the city, according to an AFP journalist. There was a fresh rally in the southern city of Dawei too, a verified live stream on Facebook showed, with hundreds of protesters accompanied by a marching band. Some carried banners against the military that read: "They kill in (the) day. They steal at night. They lie on TV." Monitoring group NetBlocks reported that a "state-ordered information blackout" had taken Myanmar almost entirely offline, but services began resuming around the start of the working day. "Network data show national connectivity rising to ordinary levels after information blackout," NetBlocks reported, adding that the outage lasted around eight hours. But the monitor noted that most users in Myanmar were still barred from social media. A joint statement from the US, British and European Union ambassadors urged security forces not to harm civilians. "We call on security forces to refrain from violence against demonstrators, who are protesting the overthrow of their legitimate government," they said. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres echoed that call. Through his spokesman, he also asked the military to "urgently" allow Swiss diplomat Christine Schraner Burgener to visit Myanmar "to assess the situation first hand". The US embassy advised American citizens to shelter in place and not risk defying an overnight curfew imposed by the regime. × UN special rapporteur Tom Andrews said the junta's efforts to rein in the burgeoning protest movement was a sign of "desperation" and amounted to a declaration of war against its people. "Attention generals: You WILL be held accountable," he wrote on Twitter. Much of the country has been in uproar since soldiers detained Aung San Suu Kyi and her top political allies on February 1, ending a decade-old fledgling democracy after generations of junta rule. The Nobel laureate spent years under house arrest during an earlier dictatorship and has not been seen in public since she was detained. (With agency inputs)

Myanmar protests: Armoured vehicles deployed in Yangon, protests erupt after internet blackout

The military coup and subsequent detention of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi halted an unsteady transition to democracy that began in 2011.

Myanmar army suspends laws limiting forces, hunts protest backers

Myanmar's new military rulers have stepped up measure like arresting the politicians and activists after rolling back laws, protecting freedom as well as the privacy.

Myanmar: Army orders arrest of coup opponents

Break-dancers performed on the streets of Yangon on Sunday (February 14) as part of demonstrations against the military coup in Myanmar.

Break-dancers join anti-coup protests in Myanmar

Myanmar army suspends laws limiting forces, orders arrest of protest backers

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/us-embassy-in-myanmar-warns-of-troop-movements-cautions-its-citizens-363614">Myanmar's</a> military junta on Monday cut internet service and deployed troops around the country amid large scale protests as security forces fired to disperse demonstrations in the country's north.&nbsp;

Watch:

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NetBlocks said a "near-total internet shutdown is in effect in #Myanmar as of 1 am local time; real-time network data show national connectivity at just 14% of ordinary levels following state-ordered information blackout."

Myanmar troops fired tear gas at protesters in Myitkyina even as reports said at least five journalists monitoring the protest were detained. The crackdown by the military has been heavily criticised by the international community as UN rights envoy said the generals will be held accountable.

Tom Andrews, the UN special rapporteur for Myanmar said: "It's as if the generals have declared war on the people of Myanmar, these are signs of desperation. Attention generals: You WILL be held accountable."&nbsp;

The foreign ambassadors in Myanmar expressed concern over the incident while urging the military to refrain from violence against demonstrators. The US embassy warned of troop movements and possible "telecommunications interruptions" in Yangon.&nbsp;

Myanmar has witnessed escalated violence ever since the February 1 military coup in which pro-democracy leader and NLD party head Aung San Suu Kyi was detained in a morning raid. The whereabouts of Suu Kyi are still unknown even as the military has arrested several party leaders close to the Nobel Prize winner.

Protests have been going on in the country for over a week with demonstrators demanding a return to democracy and freedom for Suu Kyi.

The military had taken over the country after claiming the November election which was swept by the NLD was a result of voter fraud, an accusation which has been dismissed by the international community.

Myanmar's military junta on Monday cut internet service and deployed troops around the country amid large scale protests as security forces fired to disperse demonstrations in the country's north.

Myanmar's military junta on Monday cut internet service and deployed troops around the country amid large scale protests as security forces fired to disperse demonstrations in the country's north. Watch: NetBlocks said a "near-total internet shutdown is in effect in #Myanmar as of 1 am local time; real-time network data show national connectivity at just 14% of ordinary levels following state-ordered information blackout." Myanmar troops fired tear gas at protesters in Myitkyina even as reports said at least five journalists monitoring the protest were detained. The crackdown by the military has been heavily criticised by the international community as UN rights envoy said the generals will be held accountable. Tom Andrews, the UN special rapporteur for Myanmar said: "It's as if the generals have declared war on the people of Myanmar, these are signs of desperation. Attention generals: You WILL be held accountable." The foreign ambassadors in Myanmar expressed concern over the incident while urging the military to refrain from violence against demonstrators. The US embassy warned of troop movements and possible "telecommunications interruptions" in Yangon. Myanmar has witnessed escalated violence ever since the February 1 military coup in which pro-democracy leader and NLD party head Aung San Suu Kyi was detained in a morning raid. The whereabouts of Suu Kyi are still unknown even as the military has arrested several party leaders close to the Nobel Prize winner. Protests have been going on in the country for over a week with demonstrators demanding a return to democracy and freedom for Suu Kyi. The military had taken over the country after claiming the November election which was swept by the NLD was a result of voter fraud, an accusation which has been dismissed by the international community.

Myanmar military blocks internet as troops fire to break up protest

In a stern warning to the anti-coup protesters, Myanmar's military said the agitators could face up to 20 years in prison if they obstruct the armed forces anywhere across the country.&nbsp;

Long sentences and fines will also apply to those found to incite 'hatred or contempt' towards the coup leaders, the military said. The legal changes were announced as armoured vehicles appeared on the streets of several cities, the BBC reported on Monday.&nbsp;

The media outlet Frontier Myanmar also reported that Myanmar security forces opened fire to disperse protesters in the city of Mandalay on Monday.&nbsp;

The number of casualties was not clear, it said. According to a member of a student union in the city, some people were wounded.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-protests-armoured-vehicles-deployed-in-yangon-protests-erupt-after-internet-blackout-363705">Myanmar: Armoured vehicles in Yangon, protests erupt after internet blackout</a>

Hundreds of thousands of people have taken part in protests in recent days.&nbsp;

The demonstrators are demanding the release from detention of their elected leaders, including Aung San Suu Kyi, and the restoration of democracy.&nbsp;

On Monday, Suu Kyi's lawyer said she would be detained for a further two days. She will then be tried via video link at a court in the capital Nay Pyi Taw on Wednesday, Khin Maung Zaw added.&nbsp;

Suu Kyi was rounded up with other members of the government on February 1, but her detention was due to end on February 15.&nbsp;

The charges against her include possession of unlawful communication devices - walkie-talkies used by her security staff.&nbsp;

Her party was elected in a resounding victory last November, but the military has alleged voter fraud without providing proof.&nbsp;

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&nbsp;

The military's heightened presence is the latest sign of a potential crackdown on opposition to the coup.&nbsp;

The ruling junta has also announced a series of legal changes, imposing long prison sentences and fines on anyone found to incite hatred towards the military, 'by words, either spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representation'.&nbsp;

In a statement posted on a military website on Monday, it said that people preventing the security forces from carrying out their duties could face seven years in jail, while those found to stir up fear or unrest in the public could be imprisoned for three years.&nbsp;

The news came hours after the Internet was restored.&nbsp;

In a stern warning to the anti-coup protesters, Myanmar's military said the agitators could face up to 20 years in prison if they obstruct the armed forces anywhere across the country.

In a stern warning to the anti-coup protesters, Myanmar's military said the agitators could face up to 20 years in prison if they obstruct the armed forces anywhere across the country. Long sentences and fines will also apply to those found to incite 'hatred or contempt' towards the coup leaders, the military said. The legal changes were announced as armoured vehicles appeared on the streets of several cities, the BBC reported on Monday. The media outlet Frontier Myanmar also reported that Myanmar security forces opened fire to disperse protesters in the city of Mandalay on Monday. The number of casualties was not clear, it said. According to a member of a student union in the city, some people were wounded. Also read | Myanmar: Armoured vehicles in Yangon, protests erupt after internet blackout Hundreds of thousands of people have taken part in protests in recent days. The demonstrators are demanding the release from detention of their elected leaders, including Aung San Suu Kyi, and the restoration of democracy. On Monday, Suu Kyi's lawyer said she would be detained for a further two days. She will then be tried via video link at a court in the capital Nay Pyi Taw on Wednesday, Khin Maung Zaw added. Suu Kyi was rounded up with other members of the government on February 1, but her detention was due to end on February 15. The charges against her include possession of unlawful communication devices - walkie-talkies used by her security staff. Her party was elected in a resounding victory last November, but the military has alleged voter fraud without providing proof. × The military's heightened presence is the latest sign of a potential crackdown on opposition to the coup. The ruling junta has also announced a series of legal changes, imposing long prison sentences and fines on anyone found to incite hatred towards the military, 'by words, either spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representation'. In a statement posted on a military website on Monday, it said that people preventing the security forces from carrying out their duties could face seven years in jail, while those found to stir up fear or unrest in the public could be imprisoned for three years. The news came hours after the Internet was restored.

Under new law, Myanmar protesters to face up to 20 years in prison

The situation in Myanmar appeared to be worsening as security forces opened fire on Monday to disperse protesters in the city of Mandalay, the media outlet Frontier Myanmar reported.

The number of casualties was not clear, it said. A member of a student union in the city said some people were wounded.

The military coup against Aung San Suu Kyi government has completed for two weeks and there are no indications so far that the military wants to soften its stand against the protesters. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-protests-armoured-vehicles-deployed-in-yangon-protests-erupt-after-internet-blackout-363705">Also read: Armoured vehicles deployed in Yangon, protests erupt after the internet blackout</a> 
 
The military imposed hours-long internet blackout and extra troop movement was seen at key locations in Yangon.&nbsp;

However, fresh protests again flared in Yangon on Monday morning, including near the central bank.

Meanwhile, Aung San Suu Kyi's lawyer has told the media that she will remain in custody till Wednesday (February 17). It was previously thought that her custody was to end on Monday (February 15).

At the Burmese central bank, several hundred protesters held up signs calling for colleagues to join the CDM - civil disobedience movement - and stated their refusal to accept the coup.

In Mandalay, members of the city's engineers' group joined marched with banners denouncing the military's takeover of the elected government.

Overnight, police and soldiers were seen on the streets of many towns and cities raising fears of a wave of night-time arrests of those seen as ring leaders of the protest movement.

(With inputs from agencies)

The situation in Myanmar appeared to be worsening as security forces opened fire on Monday to disperse protesters in the city of Mandalay, the media outlet Frontier Myanmar reported.

The situation in Myanmar appeared to be worsening as security forces opened fire on Monday to disperse protesters in the city of Mandalay, the media outlet Frontier Myanmar reported. The number of casualties was not clear, it said. A member of a student union in the city said some people were wounded. The military coup against Aung San Suu Kyi government has completed for two weeks and there are no indications so far that the military wants to soften its stand against the protesters. Also read: Armoured vehicles deployed in Yangon, protests erupt after the internet blackout The military imposed hours-long internet blackout and extra troop movement was seen at key locations in Yangon. However, fresh protests again flared in Yangon on Monday morning, including near the central bank. Meanwhile, Aung San Suu Kyi's lawyer has told the media that she will remain in custody till Wednesday (February 17). It was previously thought that her custody was to end on Monday (February 15). At the Burmese central bank, several hundred protesters held up signs calling for colleagues to join the CDM - civil disobedience movement - and stated their refusal to accept the coup. In Mandalay, members of the city's engineers' group joined marched with banners denouncing the military's takeover of the elected government. Overnight, police and soldiers were seen on the streets of many towns and cities raising fears of a wave of night-time arrests of those seen as ring leaders of the protest movement. (With inputs from agencies)

Myanmar security forces open fire to disperse protesters in Mandalay

Tank-ing democracy: Myanmar army bans internet to curb protests against military coup

The US embassy in Myanmar has urged its citizens to “shelter-in-place”, citing reports of military movements in the commercial capital Yangon.

The embassy also said there was a “possibility of telecommunications interruptions overnight between 1:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m”.

"There are indications of military movements in Yangon and the possibility of telecommunications interruptions overnight between 1:00 a.m. and 9:00 am" on Monday morning local time, the US embassy tweeted on its official American Citizen Services account on Sunday night.&nbsp;

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There are indications of military movements in Yangon and the possibility of telecommunications interruptions overnight between 1:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. U.S. citizens in Burma are advised to shelter-in-place during the 8:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. curfew hours.
— American Citizen Services - Burma (Myanmar) (@ACSRangoon) <a href="https://twitter.com/ACSRangoon/status/1360948903705600000?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 14, 2021</a></blockquote>
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According to Reuters, armoured vehicles were sighted in Yangon there for the first time since the February 1 military coup.

The possible interruptions would occur between 1830 - 0230 GMT.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, new army rulers grappled to contain a strike by government workers on Sunday, crippling their ability to run the country.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-army-faces-crippling-mass-strike-on-ninth-day-of-protests-363596">Also read | Myanmar army faces crippling mass strike on ninth day of protests</a>

Security forces&nbsp;opened fire to disperse protesters at a power plant&nbsp;and armoured vehicles rolled into major cities.

Hundreds of thousands of protesters took to the streets for a ninth day of anti-coup demonstrations. People protested across the nation after a fearful night as residents formed patrols and the army rolled back laws protecting freedoms.

Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) won a landslide victory in a November election that the army said was tainted with fraud - an accusation dismissed by the electoral commission.

Suu Kyi's detention is due to expire on Monday.

More than 384 people have been detained since the coup, the monitoring group Assistance Association for Political Prisoners said, in a wave of mostly nightly arrests.

(with inputs)

The US embassy in Myanmar has urged its citizens to “shelter-in-place”, citing reports of military movements in the commercial capital Yangon. The embassy also said there was a “possibility of telecommunications interruptions overnight between 1:00 a.

The US embassy in Myanmar has urged its citizens to “shelter-in-place”, citing reports of military movements in the commercial capital Yangon. The embassy also said there was a “possibility of telecommunications interruptions overnight between 1:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m”. "There are indications of military movements in Yangon and the possibility of telecommunications interruptions overnight between 1:00 a.m. and 9:00 am" on Monday morning local time, the US embassy tweeted on its official American Citizen Services account on Sunday night. There are indications of military movements in Yangon and the possibility of telecommunications interruptions overnight between 1:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. U.S. citizens in Burma are advised to shelter-in-place during the 8:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. curfew hours. — American Citizen Services - Burma (Myanmar) (@ACSRangoon) February 14, 2021 × According to Reuters, armoured vehicles were sighted in Yangon there for the first time since the February 1 military coup. The possible interruptions would occur between 1830 - 0230 GMT. Meanwhile, new army rulers grappled to contain a strike by government workers on Sunday, crippling their ability to run the country. Also read | Myanmar army faces crippling mass strike on ninth day of protests Security forces opened fire to disperse protesters at a power plant and armoured vehicles rolled into major cities. Hundreds of thousands of protesters took to the streets for a ninth day of anti-coup demonstrations. People protested across the nation after a fearful night as residents formed patrols and the army rolled back laws protecting freedoms. Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) won a landslide victory in a November election that the army said was tainted with fraud - an accusation dismissed by the electoral commission. Suu Kyi's detention is due to expire on Monday. More than 384 people have been detained since the coup, the monitoring group Assistance Association for Political Prisoners said, in a wave of mostly nightly arrests. (with inputs)

US embassy in Myanmar warns of troop movements, cautions its citizens

New army rulers in Myanmar grappled to contain a strike by government workers on Sunday, crippling their ability to run the country.

Hundreds of thousands of protesters took to the streets for a ninth day of anti-coup demonstrations. People protested across the nation after a fearful night as residents formed patrols and the army rolled back laws protecting freedoms.

In addition, a civil disobedience movement to protest against the February 1 coup that deposed the civilian government led by Aung San Suu Kyi, which started with doctors, now affects a swathe of government departments.

To this end, the junta ordered civil servants to go back to work on Saturday, threatening action.

But hundreds of railway workers joined demonstrations in the commercial capital Yangon on Sunday, even as police went to their housing compound on the outskirts of the city to order them back to work. The police were forced to leave after angry crowds gathered.

Soldiers were deployed to power plants in the northern Kachin state, leading to a confrontation with protesters who said they believed they intended to cut off the electricity to carry out nightly arrests.

Engineering students marched through downtown Yangon, the biggest city, wearing white and carrying placards demanding the release of ousted leader Suu Kyi, who has been in detention since the coup and charged with importing walkie talkies.

Many of the protesters nationwide held up images of Suu Kyi. Her detention is due to expire on Monday.

More than 384 people have been detained since the coup, the monitoring group Assistance Association for Political Prisoners said, in a wave of mostly nightly arrests.

Residents banded together late on Saturday to patrol streets in Yangon and the country's second-largest city Mandalay, fearing arrest raids as well as common crime.

Also late on Saturday, the army reinstated a law requiring people to report overnight visitors to their homes, allowed security forces to detain suspects and search private property without court approval, and ordered the arrest of well-known backers of mass protests.

Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) won a landslide victory in a November election that the army said was tainted with fraud - an accusation dismissed by the electoral commission.

(with inputs from agencies)

New army rulers in Myanmar grappled to contain a strike by government workers on Sunday, crippling their ability to run the country. Hundreds of thousands of protesters took to the streets for a ninth day of anti-coup demonstrations.

New army rulers in Myanmar grappled to contain a strike by government workers on Sunday, crippling their ability to run the country. Hundreds of thousands of protesters took to the streets for a ninth day of anti-coup demonstrations. People protested across the nation after a fearful night as residents formed patrols and the army rolled back laws protecting freedoms. In addition, a civil disobedience movement to protest against the February 1 coup that deposed the civilian government led by Aung San Suu Kyi, which started with doctors, now affects a swathe of government departments. To this end, the junta ordered civil servants to go back to work on Saturday, threatening action. But hundreds of railway workers joined demonstrations in the commercial capital Yangon on Sunday, even as police went to their housing compound on the outskirts of the city to order them back to work. The police were forced to leave after angry crowds gathered. Soldiers were deployed to power plants in the northern Kachin state, leading to a confrontation with protesters who said they believed they intended to cut off the electricity to carry out nightly arrests. Engineering students marched through downtown Yangon, the biggest city, wearing white and carrying placards demanding the release of ousted leader Suu Kyi, who has been in detention since the coup and charged with importing walkie talkies. Many of the protesters nationwide held up images of Suu Kyi. Her detention is due to expire on Monday. More than 384 people have been detained since the coup, the monitoring group Assistance Association for Political Prisoners said, in a wave of mostly nightly arrests. Residents banded together late on Saturday to patrol streets in Yangon and the country's second-largest city Mandalay, fearing arrest raids as well as common crime. Also late on Saturday, the army reinstated a law requiring people to report overnight visitors to their homes, allowed security forces to detain suspects and search private property without court approval, and ordered the arrest of well-known backers of mass protests. Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) won a landslide victory in a November election that the army said was tainted with fraud - an accusation dismissed by the electoral commission. (with inputs from agencies)

Myanmar army faces crippling mass strike on ninth day of protests

Protests in Myanmar entered their second week Saturday with neither demonstrators nor the military government they seek to unseat showing any signs of backing off from confrontations.

The army takeover that brought a decade-old democracy to an end last week has unleashed a storm of anger and defiance, with huge daily protests bringing urban centres around the country to a standstill.

Protesters in Yangon, the country's biggest city, again congregated at Hleden intersection, a key crossroads from which groups fanned out to other points, including the embassies of the United States and China. They marched despite an order banning gatherings of five or more people.

Spontaneous neighbourhood watch groups mobilised to thwart arrests of anti-coup activists and the UN demanded the release of ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-may-target-free-speech-in-effort-to-stifle-protests-363394">Also read |&nbsp;Myanmar may target free speech in effort to stifle protests</a>

Since taking Suu Kyi and her top allies into custody, troops have stepped up arrests of civil servants, doctors and others joining strikes to call on the generals to relinquish power.&nbsp;

Crowds defied overnight curfews to mass on the streets as night fell, hours after finishing a seventh straight day of rallies, following rumours that police were launching a fresh wave of arrests.

People in Yangon skirted a junta ban on Facebook to organise neighbourhood watch groups that warned of rumoured arrests.

More than 320 people have been arrested since last week's coup, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners monitoring group.&nbsp;

An emergency session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva called for the new regime to release all "arbitrarily detained" persons and hand power back to Suu Kyi's administration.

The UN deputy rights chief Nada al-Nashif warned Myanmar in the Friday meeting that "the world is watching" events unfold in the country.&nbsp;

News of more arrests did not stop tens of thousands from returning to the streets of Yangon on Saturday, where columns of traffic ground to a halt and blared their horns for five minutes to mark the birthday of Aung San.&nbsp;

Demonstrations also resumed in the second biggest city, Mandalay, with lawyers making up one large contingent.

Saturday's protests coincided with the birthday of Gen. Aung San, the country's independence leader and father of Suu Kyi. His name and image have appeared on signs carried by some demonstrators.

The independence hero and father of Suu Kyi is revered locally for freeing the country from colonial control but was gunned down at the age of 32, just months before the end of British rule.&nbsp;

So far, the generals remain undeterred by the widespread condemnation on the streets -- and overseas.

They justified seizing power with claims of widespread voter fraud in November's election, which Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) won in a landslide.

Suu Kyi has not been seen since her detention nearly two weeks ago, though NLD official Kyi Toe said on Saturday she was in Naypyidaw and still in "good health".&nbsp;

(with inputs from agencies)

Protests in Myanmar entered their second week Saturday with neither demonstrators nor the military government they seek to unseat showing any signs of backing off from confrontations.

Protests in Myanmar entered their second week Saturday with neither demonstrators nor the military government they seek to unseat showing any signs of backing off from confrontations. The army takeover that brought a decade-old democracy to an end last week has unleashed a storm of anger and defiance, with huge daily protests bringing urban centres around the country to a standstill. Protesters in Yangon, the country's biggest city, again congregated at Hleden intersection, a key crossroads from which groups fanned out to other points, including the embassies of the United States and China. They marched despite an order banning gatherings of five or more people. Spontaneous neighbourhood watch groups mobilised to thwart arrests of anti-coup activists and the UN demanded the release of ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Also read | Myanmar may target free speech in effort to stifle protests Since taking Suu Kyi and her top allies into custody, troops have stepped up arrests of civil servants, doctors and others joining strikes to call on the generals to relinquish power. Crowds defied overnight curfews to mass on the streets as night fell, hours after finishing a seventh straight day of rallies, following rumours that police were launching a fresh wave of arrests. People in Yangon skirted a junta ban on Facebook to organise neighbourhood watch groups that warned of rumoured arrests. More than 320 people have been arrested since last week's coup, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners monitoring group. An emergency session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva called for the new regime to release all "arbitrarily detained" persons and hand power back to Suu Kyi's administration. The UN deputy rights chief Nada al-Nashif warned Myanmar in the Friday meeting that "the world is watching" events unfold in the country. News of more arrests did not stop tens of thousands from returning to the streets of Yangon on Saturday, where columns of traffic ground to a halt and blared their horns for five minutes to mark the birthday of Aung San. Demonstrations also resumed in the second biggest city, Mandalay, with lawyers making up one large contingent. Saturday's protests coincided with the birthday of Gen. Aung San, the country's independence leader and father of Suu Kyi. His name and image have appeared on signs carried by some demonstrators. The independence hero and father of Suu Kyi is revered locally for freeing the country from colonial control but was gunned down at the age of 32, just months before the end of British rule. So far, the generals remain undeterred by the widespread condemnation on the streets -- and overseas. They justified seizing power with claims of widespread voter fraud in November's election, which Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) won in a landslide. Suu Kyi has not been seen since her detention nearly two weeks ago, though NLD official Kyi Toe said on Saturday she was in Naypyidaw and still in "good health". (with inputs from agencies)

Myanmar protesters block arrests as demonstrations enter second week

The military government in Myanmar has increasingly used nighttime arrests, legal threats, a curfew and a ban on large gatherings to tame weeklong anti-coup protests that have spread from the cities to the countryside. Now, civil society groups fear that the military is preparing a new law that would further restrict online expression and limit the privacy rights of citizens.

One telecommunications company, Telenor, said Friday that it was aware of the proposal and was reviewing it. A coalition of 158 civil society organizations signed a statement raising concerns that the potential new law would lead to the widespread arrest of government critics.

Watch&nbsp;|&nbsp;

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Myanmar already has harsh laws restricting online speech, but opponents of the military say the proposed law is so broad that it would allow authorities to arrest anyone who criticized the government online and imprison them for up to three years. Critics also said the proposed law would require telecommunications companies to cooperate with the government and provide information on their customers.

The military government declined to comment.

Concern over the proposal comes amid fears that the military could use greater force if the protests continue, as it has in the past. Two protesters have already been shot. But the proposal also suggests that the military may be searching for a variety of ways to rein in the demonstrations.

The military, which has ruled the country for most of the last 60 years, has a long history of using violence to suppress protests, including gunning down pro-democracy demonstrators in 1988 and 2007. The Myanmar army, or Tatmadaw, has never been shy about showing the depths of its brutality, killing monks in the street and launching a murderous rampage against the Rohingya, leading to an exodus of the Muslim minority in 2017.

But a violent response to largely peaceful protests that have swept the country after the Feb. 1 coup could further isolate Myanmar at a time when military leaders want to maintain normal economic relations. Aside from a nationally televised speech Tuesday evening by the coup leader, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, the generals behind the junta have largely been silent as the civil disobedience movement has grown.

On Thursday, Min Aung Hlaing posted a statement on Facebook saying that coronavirus vaccinations were proceeding and repeating his call for “disciplined multiparty democracy.”

Since seizing power, the military has shut down the internet at times and blocked Facebook to disrupt communications among protesters.

Over the last 10 days, a civil disobedience movement against the military takeover has seeped into nearly every aspect of society. Many bank employees, rail workers, civil servants, doctors and nurses have refused to work, reducing the availability of medical care, slowing financial transactions and halting rail transportation.

A walkout by rail employees earlier this week prompted the closure of the Myanmar Railway, which under coronavirus restrictions was serving only several thousand commuters near Yangon, the country’s largest city. There was no indication of when it would reopen.

In Yangon, where hundreds of thousands of people filled the streets in protest earlier this week, actions were more muted as smaller impromptu demonstrations popped up in different neighborhoods. On Friday, thousands of protesters staged demonstrations at foreign missions in the city, including the Chinese and Russian embassies.

Demonstrators also have become more creative since the restrictions on gatherings were announced Tuesday. Some have paraded in horse-drawn carts or dressed in ballgown. One group of animal lovers brought their dogs, another their snakes and lizards. Musicians played on the streets, weightlifters bared their chests, and a few young women wore bikinis while holding anti-coup signs.

“It’s wonderful to see all kinds of people joining in protest,” said Wai Zin Thant, a private company manager in Mandalay who watched them online. “I never thought that I would see a fashion show, a music concert and a historical protest against the military coup at the same time.”

The protests have even come to the placid Inle Lake in central Myanmar, where the inhabitants seem to live in a bygone era. They dwell in houses built on stilts, grow vegetables in floating gardens and travel in long, narrow wooden boats. The fishermen are renowned for standing on one leg while rowing with the other.

But the community is not so remote that it has been bypassed by the protests. On Thursday, more than a thousand Inle Lake residents gathered by boat in a floating protest, with anti-military slogans written on their wooden paddles and placards spelling out words in English such as, “Get out dictators.”

“Maybe people think we live a peaceful life because we grow our vegetables for food and make our own boats for transportation,” said Ngwe Toe, an Inle resident. “But we can’t neglect that the country’s democracy is being raped by the military.”

At several demonstrations earlier in the week, police officers crossed over to the protesters’ side to large cheers from the crowd. In the city of Loikaw in Kayah state, at least 40 male and female officers joined in chanting, “No dictatorship” and “People’s police” after switching sides.

But in the capital, Naypyitaw, two protesters were shot by the police Tuesday, apparently with live ammunition. One victim, Mya Thwate Thwate Khing, 19, was shot in the head. She is being kept alive by a ventilator, said Dr. Wai Yan Kyaw at Naypyitaw Thousand-Bed General Hospital, where she is being treated.

“According to her injury, this must not be a rubber bullet,” the doctor said. “This must be a real bullet.”

A second patient, a man who was shot in the chest, has been released, he said.

The young woman’s sister, Mya Tha Toe Nwe, said the two of them had taken cover at the protest to avoid the spray from a police water cannon and were leaving when she was shot.

“There is no hope even with an operation,” she said. “I am deeply sad.” But she said she would not be deterred.

“We participated in the protest against the military coup because it’s not only for one person or one party,” she said. “We need to eliminate the military dictatorship from our country, and I will keep fighting.”

Many protesters applauded the decision by President Joe Biden on Wednesday to impose sanctions on the generals behind the coup that would prevent them from gaining access to $1 billion in funds that their government keeps in the United States.

Biden, who has demanded that the military release the civilian leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, from house arrest, said he would announce additional actions against the military leaders and their families. The United Nations Human Rights Council was scheduled to meet in a special session Friday to consider taking action.

In recent days, the military has rounded up prominent leaders aligned with Suu Kyi’s party, the National League for Democracy, in midnight raids, including the chief ministers of 14 states, the popular mayor of Mandalay and her Australian economics adviser.

Among those detained were the chairman and a member of the Union Election Commission, which oversaw the November elections that the National League for Democracy won in a landslide. The military tried to justify its coup by claiming electoral fraud. Authorities also raided the party’s headquarters in Yangon, seizing financial records, computers and data storage devices.

A doctor active in the civil disobedience movement in the southern Myanmar township of Ingapu was arrested and dragged away by plainclothes police officers Thursday afternoon while he was in the middle of stitching up a patient, his family said. He has not been heard from since.

The military announced Friday that it would release more than 23,000 prisoners under an amnesty in honor of Union Day, a national holiday commemorating a 1947 independence agreement. Such mass amnesties are not unusual in Myanmar; the civilian government released nearly 25,000 inmates in April.

But democracy advocates expressed concern online that the junta could organize some of the prisoners into mobs to attack protesters, a tactic that critics said it has used in the past.

The military government in Myanmar has increasingly used nighttime arrests, legal threats, a curfew and a ban on large gatherings to tame weeklong anti-coup protests that have spread from the cities to the countryside.

The military government in Myanmar has increasingly used nighttime arrests, legal threats, a curfew and a ban on large gatherings to tame weeklong anti-coup protests that have spread from the cities to the countryside. Now, civil society groups fear that the military is preparing a new law that would further restrict online expression and limit the privacy rights of citizens. One telecommunications company, Telenor, said Friday that it was aware of the proposal and was reviewing it. A coalition of 158 civil society organizations signed a statement raising concerns that the potential new law would lead to the widespread arrest of government critics. Watch | Myanmar already has harsh laws restricting online speech, but opponents of the military say the proposed law is so broad that it would allow authorities to arrest anyone who criticized the government online and imprison them for up to three years. Critics also said the proposed law would require telecommunications companies to cooperate with the government and provide information on their customers. The military government declined to comment. Concern over the proposal comes amid fears that the military could use greater force if the protests continue, as it has in the past. Two protesters have already been shot. But the proposal also suggests that the military may be searching for a variety of ways to rein in the demonstrations. The military, which has ruled the country for most of the last 60 years, has a long history of using violence to suppress protests, including gunning down pro-democracy demonstrators in 1988 and 2007. The Myanmar army, or Tatmadaw, has never been shy about showing the depths of its brutality, killing monks in the street and launching a murderous rampage against the Rohingya, leading to an exodus of the Muslim minority in 2017. But a violent response to largely peaceful protests that have swept the country after the Feb. 1 coup could further isolate Myanmar at a time when military leaders want to maintain normal economic relations. Aside from a nationally televised speech Tuesday evening by the coup leader, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, the generals behind the junta have largely been silent as the civil disobedience movement has grown. On Thursday, Min Aung Hlaing posted a statement on Facebook saying that coronavirus vaccinations were proceeding and repeating his call for “disciplined multiparty democracy.” Since seizing power, the military has shut down the internet at times and blocked Facebook to disrupt communications among protesters. Over the last 10 days, a civil disobedience movement against the military takeover has seeped into nearly every aspect of society. Many bank employees, rail workers, civil servants, doctors and nurses have refused to work, reducing the availability of medical care, slowing financial transactions and halting rail transportation. A walkout by rail employees earlier this week prompted the closure of the Myanmar Railway, which under coronavirus restrictions was serving only several thousand commuters near Yangon, the country’s largest city. There was no indication of when it would reopen. In Yangon, where hundreds of thousands of people filled the streets in protest earlier this week, actions were more muted as smaller impromptu demonstrations popped up in different neighborhoods. On Friday, thousands of protesters staged demonstrations at foreign missions in the city, including the Chinese and Russian embassies. Demonstrators also have become more creative since the restrictions on gatherings were announced Tuesday. Some have paraded in horse-drawn carts or dressed in ballgown. One group of animal lovers brought their dogs, another their snakes and lizards. Musicians played on the streets, weightlifters bared their chests, and a few young women wore bikinis while holding anti-coup signs. “It’s wonderful to see all kinds of people joining in protest,” said Wai Zin Thant, a private company manager in Mandalay who watched them online. “I never thought that I would see a fashion show, a music concert and a historical protest against the military coup at the same time.” The protests have even come to the placid Inle Lake in central Myanmar, where the inhabitants seem to live in a bygone era. They dwell in houses built on stilts, grow vegetables in floating gardens and travel in long, narrow wooden boats. The fishermen are renowned for standing on one leg while rowing with the other. But the community is not so remote that it has been bypassed by the protests. On Thursday, more than a thousand Inle Lake residents gathered by boat in a floating protest, with anti-military slogans written on their wooden paddles and placards spelling out words in English such as, “Get out dictators.” “Maybe people think we live a peaceful life because we grow our vegetables for food and make our own boats for transportation,” said Ngwe Toe, an Inle resident. “But we can’t neglect that the country’s democracy is being raped by the military.” At several demonstrations earlier in the week, police officers crossed over to the protesters’ side to large cheers from the crowd. In the city of Loikaw in Kayah state, at least 40 male and female officers joined in chanting, “No dictatorship” and “People’s police” after switching sides. But in the capital, Naypyitaw, two protesters were shot by the police Tuesday, apparently with live ammunition. One victim, Mya Thwate Thwate Khing, 19, was shot in the head. She is being kept alive by a ventilator, said Dr. Wai Yan Kyaw at Naypyitaw Thousand-Bed General Hospital, where she is being treated. “According to her injury, this must not be a rubber bullet,” the doctor said. “This must be a real bullet.” A second patient, a man who was shot in the chest, has been released, he said. The young woman’s sister, Mya Tha Toe Nwe, said the two of them had taken cover at the protest to avoid the spray from a police water cannon and were leaving when she was shot. “There is no hope even with an operation,” she said. “I am deeply sad.” But she said she would not be deterred. “We participated in the protest against the military coup because it’s not only for one person or one party,” she said. “We need to eliminate the military dictatorship from our country, and I will keep fighting.” Many protesters applauded the decision by President Joe Biden on Wednesday to impose sanctions on the generals behind the coup that would prevent them from gaining access to $1 billion in funds that their government keeps in the United States. Biden, who has demanded that the military release the civilian leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, from house arrest, said he would announce additional actions against the military leaders and their families. The United Nations Human Rights Council was scheduled to meet in a special session Friday to consider taking action. In recent days, the military has rounded up prominent leaders aligned with Suu Kyi’s party, the National League for Democracy, in midnight raids, including the chief ministers of 14 states, the popular mayor of Mandalay and her Australian economics adviser. Among those detained were the chairman and a member of the Union Election Commission, which oversaw the November elections that the National League for Democracy won in a landslide. The military tried to justify its coup by claiming electoral fraud. Authorities also raided the party’s headquarters in Yangon, seizing financial records, computers and data storage devices. A doctor active in the civil disobedience movement in the southern Myanmar township of Ingapu was arrested and dragged away by plainclothes police officers Thursday afternoon while he was in the middle of stitching up a patient, his family said. He has not been heard from since. The military announced Friday that it would release more than 23,000 prisoners under an amnesty in honor of Union Day, a national holiday commemorating a 1947 independence agreement. Such mass amnesties are not unusual in Myanmar; the civilian government released nearly 25,000 inmates in April. But democracy advocates expressed concern online that the junta could organize some of the prisoners into mobs to attack protesters, a tactic that critics said it has used in the past.

Myanmar may target free speech in effort to stifle protests

How military controls Myanmar's lucrative mines, banks and oil sectors

Half of Myanmar's population is on Facebook. Protesters are using it to mobilise. Now Facebook has decided to reduce the distribution of all content from the military. Will Facebook decide the fate of Myanmar?

Gravitas: Myanmar Coup: Will Facebook decide the fate of Myanmar?

In 2018, UN investigators blamed Facebook for playing a leading role in inciting hate against the Rohingyas. WION's Palki tells you how Myanmar's military turned the social media platform into a tool for ethnic cleansing.

Gravitas: How Facebook was used to incite violence in Myanmar

It is widely said that, in Myanmar, Facebook is the digital tea shop. It played a role in the Rohingya refugess crisis, and the genocide before it.

And as Myanmar's military seized control in a coup on February 1, many Burmese watched events unfold on Facebook in real-time.&nbsp;

Facebook plays an outsized role in Myanmar, where for many residents it is synonymous with the internet.&nbsp;

United Nations investigators say that Facebook allowed the platform to be used by radical Buddhist nationalists and members of the military to fan a campaign of violence towards the Muslim Rohingya minority, 700,000 of whom fled an army crackdown in 2017.&nbsp;

In response, Facebook tried to tamp down hate speech and misinformation and ramped up partnerships with civil society,sometimes in conflict with the military. The company maintained its central role in the life for the country, and Aung San Suu Kyi's government regularly announced major initiatives on its Facebook pages.

Another report claims Facebook was turned into a tool for ethnic cleansing in Myanmar -- with the military driving the anti-Rohingya propaganda through posts that incited murder and rape.

Ahead of the Myanmar's November election, Facebook announced it had taken down a network of 70 fake accounts and pages operated by members of the military that had posted either positive content about the army or criticism of Suu Kyi and herparty.

A Reuters review early this week found dozens of pages and accounts alleging election fraud - the reason given by the army for seizing power. The posts started in October and continued after the election; in the 48 hours before the coup, many of the pages called for military intervention.

After the coup, those pages turned to posts accusing the ousted government of fraud and justifying the takeover, the review showed. Some of the pages published coordinated posts criticizing or threatening politicians like Suu Kyi as well as journalists and activists.

Facebook took down dozens of the accounts on Wednesday,shortly before being shut down. Reuters could not determine their provenance.

The public scrutiny forced Facebook to act, and by December 2018, it had removed 425 pages, 17 groups, and 15 Instagram accounts.

Facebook claimed these accounts were disguised as news and entertainment pages. But they actually belonged to the military.

In 2018, it banned army chief Min Aung Hlaing - now Myanmar's military ruler - and 19 other senior officers and organisations, and took down hundreds of pages and accounts run by military members for coordinated inauthentic behaviour.

Three years after it banned the general, Facebook now faces the challenge of protecting Myanmar's democracy.

And the company has vowed to be on the right side of history this time.

Facebook said on Friday it would reduce the distribution of all content and profiles run by Myanmar’s military, saying they have “continued to spread misinformation” after the army seized power and detained civilian leaders in a coup on February&nbsp;1.

The measures – which are not a ban, but are aimed at reducing the number of people who see the content – will apply to an official page run by the army and one by a spokesperson, the company said in a statement, as well as “any additional pages that the military controls that repeatedly violate our misinformation policies”.

It is widely said that, in Myanmar, Facebook is the digital tea shop. It played a role in the Rohingya refugess crisis, and the genocide before it. And as Myanmar's military seized control in a coup on February 1, many Burmese watched events unfold on Facebook in real-time.

It is widely said that, in Myanmar, Facebook is the digital tea shop. It played a role in the Rohingya refugess crisis, and the genocide before it. And as Myanmar's military seized control in a coup on February 1, many Burmese watched events unfold on Facebook in real-time. Facebook plays an outsized role in Myanmar, where for many residents it is synonymous with the internet. United Nations investigators say that Facebook allowed the platform to be used by radical Buddhist nationalists and members of the military to fan a campaign of violence towards the Muslim Rohingya minority, 700,000 of whom fled an army crackdown in 2017. In response, Facebook tried to tamp down hate speech and misinformation and ramped up partnerships with civil society,sometimes in conflict with the military. The company maintained its central role in the life for the country, and Aung San Suu Kyi's government regularly announced major initiatives on its Facebook pages. Another report claims Facebook was turned into a tool for ethnic cleansing in Myanmar -- with the military driving the anti-Rohingya propaganda through posts that incited murder and rape. Ahead of the Myanmar's November election, Facebook announced it had taken down a network of 70 fake accounts and pages operated by members of the military that had posted either positive content about the army or criticism of Suu Kyi and herparty. A Reuters review early this week found dozens of pages and accounts alleging election fraud - the reason given by the army for seizing power. The posts started in October and continued after the election; in the 48 hours before the coup, many of the pages called for military intervention. After the coup, those pages turned to posts accusing the ousted government of fraud and justifying the takeover, the review showed. Some of the pages published coordinated posts criticizing or threatening politicians like Suu Kyi as well as journalists and activists. Facebook took down dozens of the accounts on Wednesday,shortly before being shut down. Reuters could not determine their provenance. The public scrutiny forced Facebook to act, and by December 2018, it had removed 425 pages, 17 groups, and 15 Instagram accounts. Facebook claimed these accounts were disguised as news and entertainment pages. But they actually belonged to the military. In 2018, it banned army chief Min Aung Hlaing - now Myanmar's military ruler - and 19 other senior officers and organisations, and took down hundreds of pages and accounts run by military members for coordinated inauthentic behaviour. Three years after it banned the general, Facebook now faces the challenge of protecting Myanmar's democracy. And the company has vowed to be on the right side of history this time. Facebook said on Friday it would reduce the distribution of all content and profiles run by Myanmar’s military, saying they have “continued to spread misinformation” after the army seized power and detained civilian leaders in a coup on February 1. The measures – which are not a ban, but are aimed at reducing the number of people who see the content – will apply to an official page run by the army and one by a spokesperson, the company said in a statement, as well as “any additional pages that the military controls that repeatedly violate our misinformation policies”.

Facebook, digital tea shop in Myanmar, decides to be on the right side of history. This time

United Nations deputy rights chief Nada al-Nashif expressed concern after Washington announced sanctions on the generals behind last week's coup in Myanmar.

He warned that any sanctions imposed over the coup in Myanmar must be "carefully targeted" against those responsible, to avoid harming vulnerable people.

"Any sanctions under consideration should be carefully targeted against specific individuals who are credibly alleged to have violated the people's rights," al-Nashif said.

"Leaders of this coup are an appropriate focus of such actions," she said, adding that "it is of critical importance that no harm should be inflicted on the most vulnerable people in the country."

She was addressing a special session of the council urgently called for by Britain and the European Union to address the situation in Myanmar after the military there seized control on February 1.

The new US sanctions target Min Aung Hlaing and other top generals, after President Joe Biden announced his administration was cutting off the military's access to $1 billion in funds.

Meanwhile, Supporters of Suu Kyi clashed with police on Friday as hundreds of thousands joined nationwide pro-democracy demonstrations in defiance of the junta's call to halt mass gatherings.

More than 350 officials, activists, journalists, monks and students have been detained, according to Nada al-Nashif, deputy U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Myanmar Ambassador Myint Thu said Myanmar would continue to cooperate with the United Nations and uphold international human rights treaties, adding: "We do not want to stall the nascent democratic transition in the country."

 
(With inputs from agencies)

United Nations deputy rights chief Nada al-Nashif expressed concern after Washington announced sanctions on the generals behind last week's coup in Myanmar. He warned that any sanctions imposed over the coup in Myanmar must be "carefully targeted" against those responsible, to avoid harming vulnerable people.

United Nations deputy rights chief Nada al-Nashif expressed concern after Washington announced sanctions on the generals behind last week's coup in Myanmar. He warned that any sanctions imposed over the coup in Myanmar must be "carefully targeted" against those responsible, to avoid harming vulnerable people. "Any sanctions under consideration should be carefully targeted against specific individuals who are credibly alleged to have violated the people's rights," al-Nashif said. "Leaders of this coup are an appropriate focus of such actions," she said, adding that "it is of critical importance that no harm should be inflicted on the most vulnerable people in the country." She was addressing a special session of the council urgently called for by Britain and the European Union to address the situation in Myanmar after the military there seized control on February 1. The new US sanctions target Min Aung Hlaing and other top generals, after President Joe Biden announced his administration was cutting off the military's access to $1 billion in funds. Meanwhile, Supporters of Suu Kyi clashed with police on Friday as hundreds of thousands joined nationwide pro-democracy demonstrations in defiance of the junta's call to halt mass gatherings. More than 350 officials, activists, journalists, monks and students have been detained, according to Nada al-Nashif, deputy U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights. Myanmar Ambassador Myint Thu said Myanmar would continue to cooperate with the United Nations and uphold international human rights treaties, adding: "We do not want to stall the nascent democratic transition in the country." (With inputs from agencies)

United Nations warns sanctions on Myanmar should target coup leaders, not people

US President Joe Biden has threatened to reinstate sanctions. However, China blocked a UN Security Council statement condemning the coup.

Myanmar protests: US seeking to counter Chinese influence in the region

The fears have come true. Chinese planes have landed in Myanmar. Protesters say the planes carry 'arms & technicians'. China says they only brought seafood. WION's Palki says the world needs to act before Myanmar slips into China's grip.

Gravitas: Is Myanmar slipping into China's grip?

India has called for release of detained political leaders and upholding of "democratic processes" in Myanmar in the aftermath of a military coup in the country.

India's envoy to UN in Geneva Indra Mani Pandey, while addressing the UN Human Rights Council, said, "Unfortunately, the hopes and aspirations of the people of Myanmar have been dealt with a blow by the latest developments. We strongly believe that the rule of law and democratic processes must be upheld and the detained political leaders released."

"The right to protest peacefully is an integral part of the democratic ethos," he added.

This is the third such official statement by India in the aftermath of the February 1 coup. The first two statements were made by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

The Indian envoy in his statement expressed deep concerns, and called on "the leadership of Myanmar to work together to resolve their differences in a peaceful and constructive manner" and that "restoring democratic order should be the priority of all stakeholders in Myanmar."

Also, India lauded the "progress achieved on the path to democracy, over the last decade or more" which was "impressive".

India and Myanmar have good bilateral relations, including high level engagement. Last year, Indian Army Chief General MM Naravane and Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla visited Myanmar.

Pandey, to this end, said, "India shares a land and maritime border with Myanmar. We have direct stakes in the maintenance of peace and stability and the development of the country and we propose to continue with our developmental efforts so that people on the ground do not suffer."

New Delhi had earlier sent 1.5 million India-made vaccines to Myanmar. India is also engaged in number of connectivity projects with the country, including operationalisation of Sittwe project.&nbsp;

India has called for release of detained political leaders and upholding of "democratic processes" in Myanmar in the aftermath of a military coup in the country.

India has called for release of detained political leaders and upholding of "democratic processes" in Myanmar in the aftermath of a military coup in the country. India's envoy to UN in Geneva Indra Mani Pandey, while addressing the UN Human Rights Council, said, "Unfortunately, the hopes and aspirations of the people of Myanmar have been dealt with a blow by the latest developments. We strongly believe that the rule of law and democratic processes must be upheld and the detained political leaders released." "The right to protest peacefully is an integral part of the democratic ethos," he added. This is the third such official statement by India in the aftermath of the February 1 coup. The first two statements were made by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). The Indian envoy in his statement expressed deep concerns, and called on "the leadership of Myanmar to work together to resolve their differences in a peaceful and constructive manner" and that "restoring democratic order should be the priority of all stakeholders in Myanmar." Also, India lauded the "progress achieved on the path to democracy, over the last decade or more" which was "impressive". India and Myanmar have good bilateral relations, including high level engagement. Last year, Indian Army Chief General MM Naravane and Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla visited Myanmar. Pandey, to this end, said, "India shares a land and maritime border with Myanmar. We have direct stakes in the maintenance of peace and stability and the development of the country and we propose to continue with our developmental efforts so that people on the ground do not suffer." New Delhi had earlier sent 1.5 million India-made vaccines to Myanmar. India is also engaged in number of connectivity projects with the country, including operationalisation of Sittwe project.

At UNHRC, India calls for release of political detainees in Myanmar

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