YANGON, Myanmar (AP) – Anti-coup protesters in Myanmar, supporters of finding themes to tie up nationwide protests, took to the streets holding painted eggs in a sign of Easter celebration on Sunday.
In the largest city, Yangon, a group marched through the Insein district singing and singing protest songs and swinging eggs bearing the slogan “Spring Revolution.” Many of the eggs also bore a three-fingered greeting drawing, a symbol of resistance to the February 1 coup.
At dawn in Mandalay, the country’s second-largest city, protesters gathered on motorcycles to protest against the seizure of power that overthrew the democratically elected government.
Myanmar’s army has violently repressed protesters and others in the opposition, with the latest civilian death toll from the 557 coup, according to the Independent Association for Assistance to Political Prisoners. More than 2,750 people have been detained or convicted, the group said.
On Sunday, security forces opened fire on a crowd of protesters in Pyinmana, in central Myanmar, killing at least one person, local media Khit Thit Media reported.
Pope Francis, in his Easter Sunday speech at St. Peter’s Basilica, prayed for “young people in Myanmar who are committed to supporting democracy and making their voices heard peacefully, knowing that hatred can only be dispelled through love. ”.
The so-called “Easter egg shot” on Sunday is followed by other thematic days. These included a “flower strike,” in which protesters laid flowers in public places to honor those killed by security forces, and a “silent strike,” in which people across the country left the streets deserted.
Dr. Sasa, Myanmar’s special envoy to the UN, who bears one name, posted a picture of painted eggs on Twitter and wrote that the people of Myanmar have a “great future in federal democracy,” reflecting the hope that the military will resign. to restore it. a democratic system.
Security forces continued to spread fear among ordinary citizens. Overnight, a Yangon resident recorded videos of a group of soldiers and police using gunfire to shoot stones at house windows, breaking the silence of the night. At other times, soldiers and police keep intimidating themselves at night with raids on neighborhoods, during which they shout abuse, shoot at random, make arrests and vandalize property.
On Saturday, police opened fire, killing several protesters in Monywa in central Myanmar and elsewhere.
With most internet access cut off or severely restricted by the junta, it is becoming increasingly difficult for people in Myanmar to get pictures of their situation in the outside world.
After weeks of overnight internet outages, the military closed all connections on Friday except those using fiber optic cable, which was working at drastically low speeds. Access to mobile networks and all wireless networks – the least expensive options used by most people in the developing country – was blocked on Sunday.