Protesters in Myanmar poured into the streets on Wednesday for the fifth day in a row to oppose last week’s military coup, despite increasing use of force by authorities.
Earlier in the day, police fired shots to disperse protesters and used rubber bullets and water cannons, causing injuries and raising fears of harassment. The United Nations has expressed concern over police action on Tuesday, saying the use of disproportionate force is unacceptable and the US has condemned violence against protesters.
Tens of thousands of people attended rallies and street marches against the February 1 takeover. The coup put an end to a democratic change in the country that began a decade ago and suddenly put Myanmar back in the hands of the military, which has ruled it for much of the last seven decades since independence from British colonial rule. In the last years of military rule, security forces have relied on arrests, sticks, militias and weapons to end pro-democracy riots.
Protesters are demanding that the army release the hugely popular civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, whom they detained while her government was ousted, and give back power. In a speech on Monday night, the leader of the coup, military leader Min Aung Hlaing, promised to build a “genuine and disciplined democratic system.” He said that new elections would take place, although it is not known what the conditions of such a vote would be.
Signs that authorities could use more force to suppress the protests have been growing for months. As demonstrations took place in Myanmar’s cities, an ominous message appeared on state television saying that action would be taken against those who disrupted the country’s stability and that lawbreakers should not be tolerated. Authorities later banned protests in parts of the country’s largest cities, Yangon and Mandalay.