Security forces in Burma continued their campaign of intimidation while cracking down on protesters demanding the return of the elected government.
Thousands of protesters gathered in Naypyitaw, the country’s capital, and Mandalay, the country’s second largest city.
Soldiers and police officers appeared at both locations, attacking protesters with sticks and slingshots. Local media reported that police also used rubber bullets in the crowd and that some people were injured.
A policeman points a slingshot at an unknown target during a crackdown on anti-coup protesters who are demonstrating in front of the Myanmar Economic Bank in Mandalay, Burma on Monday, February 15, 2021. (Photo AP)
Ambassadors of the United States and Canada and 12 European nations have asked Burma’s security forces to avoid violence against those who “protest the overthrow of their legitimate government”.
Protesters in the capital also demanded the release of students who were detained for protesting. One student told reporters that the police arrested the students while they protested peacefully.
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The police arrested about 20 to 40 students, believed to be between 13 and 16 years old.
Thousands of engineers marched on the streets of Mandalay, singing and holding signs that said: “Free our leader”, “Who is with justice?” and “Stop arresting people illegally at midnight.”
A man is detained by the police during a crackdown on anti-coup demonstrators who are demonstrating in front of the Economic Bank of Myanmar in Mandalay, Burma, on Monday, February 15, 2021. (Photo AP)
On Sunday, the US State Department authorized the voluntary departure of non-emergency US government officials and their families. The authorization was based on “the high potential for violence, continued restrictions on telecommunications and limited flights outside Burma”, according to a statement from the United States Embassy in Burma.
The embassy remains open and continues to provide services to Americans in Burma.
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The State Department had already updated its Travel Notice to Level 4 – “Don’t Travel” – due to civil unrest and the coronavirus pandemic.
“The Burmese military detained and deposed elected government officials,” the statement said. “Protests and demonstrations across the country against the military government have taken place and can continue.”
A soldier holds a long firearm during a crackdown on anti-coup demonstrators who are demonstrating in front of the Myanmar Economic Bank in Mandalay, Burma on Monday, February 15, 2021. (Photo AP)
Burma’s military leaders extended the detention of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi until February 17, when she is due to appear in court by videoconference.
When the military seized power, they arrested Suu Kyi and members of his government and prevented newly elected lawmakers from opening a new session of Parliament.
The board, led by General Min Aung Hlaing, said it intervened because the government did not adequately investigate allegations of fraud in last year’s election, which Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy won with an overwhelming victory.
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The state electoral commission refuted this claim, saying there is no evidence to support it.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.