Tens of thousands rise against Myanmar coup

Tens of thousands of protesters flooded the streets of Myanmar’s cities for three days, while resistance increased to the military’s seizure of power last week.

Protesters demand that the results of the latest elections be honored and the civilian government restored after the military coup last week that led to the arrest of hundreds of pro-democracy leaders, including the country’s civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Monday saw the biggest demonstrations so far, with protesters invading the streets of Yangon, the country’s largest city, and beyond. Reports indicate that a large number of people joined the demonstrations, from young activists to Buddhist monks, teachers and many more. Some activists called for a general strike this week, although it is unclear how widely that message circulated, compared to the spill in the streets.

Many protesters wore red, the color of Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party, which won a popular mandate in the last election. Protesters raised three fingers in salute – a symbol of resistance from the Hunger Games franchise that was adopted by pro-democracy protesters in Myanmar and other countries in the region.

Groups held placards and shouted slogans, many calling for Suu Kyi’s release. Traffic increased as cars and buses decreased, honking in support.

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“We are young people fighting for democracy and against the military coup,” a 23-year-old protester in Yangon told the Guardian. “They must free Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and our president,” continued the protester, using an honorary title often used for married and elderly women in Myanmar. “When the military cut off social media and the internet, taking to the streets was the only thing we could do.”

It is a remarkable demonstration of challenge, especially considering the history of violent repression by the Myanmar military against popular protests.

So far, the demonstrations have been largely peaceful. The military also cut off Internet access on Saturday, although it was restored the following day. Police fired water cannons at protesters in Myanmar’s capital Naypyidaw. In Myawaddy, near the border with Thailand, shots were reportedly fired as police tried to disperse a crowd.

But it is a fine balance, as counter-protesters’ trucks, which many believe are being sent by the military, began arriving at the protests on Monday.

Wai Wai Nu, founder and executive director of the Women’s Network for Peace in Burma (an older name for Myanmar) said in a call with reporters on Monday morning that concerns are mounting that there will be a confrontation or an attack on democracy protesters by pro-military protesters. “This is a major concern for everyone in Myanmar,” she said.

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On Monday, Myanmar’s military imposed a curfew in the districts of Yangon and Mandalay, another major city. The restrictions prohibit meetings of more than five people from 8 pm to 4 am.

“Democracy can be destroyed if there is no discipline,” said a statement from the Ministry of Information, read on the state television station MRTV, according to the Associated Press. “We will have to take legal measures to prevent acts that violate state stability, public security and the rule of law.”

The protests are notable – but Myanmar’s future is still in doubt

The mass protests come a week after Myanmar’s military overthrew the civilian government, even ending the country’s facade of democracy.

The military claimed they were forced to take this action because of widespread irregularities in the November parliamentary elections, in which Suu Kyi and his National League for Democracy (NLD) party won a major victory, securing 396 seats in Parliament. Neither the country’s Union Election Commission nor international observers found evidence of widespread irregularities that would have changed the outcome of the vote.

Since then, the military has arrested Suu Kyi and hundreds of members of his party, along with other activists and public figures. Some are being held on dubious charges; Suu Kyi, for example, was accused of smuggling illegal walkie-talkies. The military said they would maintain control for at least a year, at which point they will host new elections, overseen by a new “reformed” electoral commission.

Myanmar’s military has always maintained significant control, despite the democratic reforms that began a decade ago and allowed for elections and a degree of civilian leadership. The coup undermined even that imperfect democracy. But the protests are a sign that many in Myanmar are refusing to return to the darkest days of military control.

Activists demand the release of political detainees and recognition of the results of the November elections. Some are pushing for even greater demands, including establishing a real democracy with the abolition of the 2008 constitution, which keeps the military largely in control.

Wai Wai Nu, the activist, said that civil society groups and activists also call for “true democracy”, one that grants recognition and includes many ethnic and religious minority groups from Myanmar, many of whom have even been excluded from Myanmar’s hybrid democratic system.

This includes groups like Rohingya, a Muslim minority in the country’s state of Rakhine. Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya fled to neighboring Bangladesh after atrocities and war crimes committed by the Myanmar military, which the United Nations calls “a classic example of ethnic cleansing”.

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Rohingya activists said they are on the side of pro-democracy protesters in Myanmar, although they acknowledge that their persecution continued despite democratic reforms and under the leadership of Suu Kyi.

“As Rohingya, as a citizen of Burma, I must express solidarity and I stand with the people of Burma, who are fighting for democracy,” said Tun Khin, president of the Burmese Rohingya Organization UK, in a call to reporters on Monday, adding who was happy to see Rohingya joining the protests, some of which made him from refugee camps in Bangladesh.

Activists are also looking out to see how the international community can strengthen its fight for democracy, including specific sanctions against the military or an arms embargo. They also called for greater recognition of the Rohingya genocide, as many activists fear that the thousands of Rohingya who still live in the country may face further persecution with the total return of the military.

The United States and many of its allies condemned the coup. The Biden government has said it will review economic sanctions, but has few options to really put pressure on Myanmar’s military.

There are also limits to how much the international community can do, especially as China can be more than happy to partner with the Myanmar military. All of this makes pro-democracy protests riskier than ever. However, the people of Myanmar, for now, are still taking to the streets.