YANGON, Myanmar (AP) – New military leaders in Myanmar on Monday signaled their intention to fight opponents of their takeover by issuing decrees effectively banning peaceful public protests in the country’s two largest cities.
The restrictive measures were ordered after police fired water cannons on hundreds of protesters in Myanmar’s capital, Naypyitaw, who demanded military power back from elected officials. It was just one of many demonstrations across the country.
Rallies and gatherings of more than five people, along with motorized processions, were banned and a nest was imposed from 20:00 to 4:00 for the areas of Yangon and Mandalay, the country’s first and second largest cities, where thousands of people have been demonstrating since Saturday.
Protesters in Yangon gathered at a major intersection in the city center on Monday, raising three-fingered greetings, symbols of resistance and carrying placards saying “Reject the military coup” and “Justice for Myanmar.”
There were also demonstrations in cities in the north, southeast and east of the country.
Decrees allowing the new restrictive measures have been issued depending on the locality, and are expected to be extended to other areas. They say they were issued in response to people carrying out illegal actions that violate the rule of law, a reference to protests.
The growing wave of defiance – especially in Naypyitaw, where such protests are unusual – has been striking in a country where demonstrations have been met with severe force in the past. This resistance was happening in Naypyitaw, whose population includes many civil servants and their families, spoke of the level of anger among people who had only begun to taste democracy in recent years after five decades of military rule.
“We don’t want a military junta,” said Daw Moe, a Yangon protester. “I never wanted this joint. Nobody wants her. All people are ready to fight them. ”
The coup came on the day when the newly elected parliamentarians were to take their seats in parliament after the November elections. The generals said the vote was marred by fraud – although the country’s election commission rejected the claim.
The state media, for the first time, on Monday referred to the protests, claiming that they endanger the country’s stability.
“Democracy can be destroyed if there is no discipline,” said a statement from the Ministry of Information, read on the state television station MRTV. “We will have to take legal action to prevent acts that violate state stability, public safety and the rule of law.”
However, the military commander who led the coup and is now the leader of Myanmar made no mention of the unrest in a 20-minute televised speech Monday night, his first in front of the public since the takeover.
General Min Aung Hlaing repeated the allegations of voting fraud that were the justification for taking over the army, accusations that were refuted by the state electoral commission. He added that his junta will hold new elections as promised in a year and will hand over the power to the winners and explained the junta’s intended policies for controlling COVID-19 and the economy.
The growing protests are reminiscent of previous movements in the country’s long and bloody struggle for democracy in Southeast Asia. On Sunday, tens of thousands of protesters gathered at Sule Pagoda in Yangon, which was the focal point of demonstrations against military rule during a massive 1988 uprising and again during a 2007 uprising led by Buddhist monks. The military used deadly force to end both uprisings. Except for a few officers, soldiers were not on the streets protesting last week.
The photos he faced on Monday in Naypyitaw showed a large crowd of protesters surrounded on several sides by a large number of police officers and police vehicles. Officers there fired a water cannon at the crowd, which was gathered near a giant statue of Aung San, who led the country’s 1940s struggle for independence from Britain and is the father of Aung San Suu Kyi, the elected leader. who was fired by those last week. take over.
Suu Kyi – who became an international symbol of the country’s struggle for freedom while being held at home for 15 years and won the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts – is now back under house arrest.
The Association for the Assistance of Political Prisoners, an independent security group, says 165 people, mostly politicians, have been detained since the February 1 coup, with only 13 released.
A foreigner has been confirmed to be detained by authorities, Sean Turnell, an economist at Macquarie University in Australia, who was an adviser to the Suu Kyi government. He was detained on Saturday in unclear circumstances.
A statement issued Monday by the office of Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said he was being given consular support and described him as “a highly regarded adviser, a member of the academic community”.
“We certainly believe he should be released immediately,” he said.