In a statement on the government channel MRTV, the military warned that “democracy can be destroyed” without discipline, and that people who “undermine state stability, public security and the rule of law” may face legal action.
For the third consecutive day on Monday, thousands of people marched in cities across the country against the military takeover and called for the release of detained civil leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other elected legislators.
In the capital, Naypyidaw, police used water cannons against protesters who chanted anti-coup slogans and demanded that power be returned to elected leaders, according to Reuters. Protesters dispersed after police said they would shoot live ammunition if they crossed the police line on one of the city’s main roads.
In live feeds posted on social media, protesters could be heard shouting “the people unite against the dictator’s government” and held up posters with pictures of Suu Kyi’s face.
Students’ Union members led the first wave of protesters, with teachers and engineers joining the Yangon crowd. Saffron-clad monks could be seen supporting the crowd outside the temples, saluting with three fingers and waving.
“We will not allow this military dictatorship to pass to our next generation. We will continue our protest until the dictatorship fails,” said Yangon resident Soe Maung Maung.
The United States Embassy said it had received reports that curfews were imposed in Yangon and the city of Mandalay from 8 pm to 4 am
The US State Department said it was “very concerned” about the restrictions imposed by the military on public meetings and offered support for the country’s peaceful protests.
“We are with people who support their right to meet peacefully, including to protest peacefully in support of democratically elected governments, and the right to freedom of expression, including the freedom to seek to transmit information online and offline,” said the spokesman. Ned Price voice.
In his first public television speech since taking power, General Min Aung Hlaing on Monday told citizens to prioritize “facts” rather than “feelings”, promising to hold “free and fair” elections and hand over power to the winner .
He did not say when the elections would be held, but repeated the claims that the November 2020 poll – in which Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) party won a landslide victory – was fraudulent. The state of emergency, imposed when Min Aung Hlaing took power, has been in place for a year.
The electoral commission denied the allegations, saying that any irregularities would not have been enough to alter the overall result.
In his speech, Min Aung Hlaing said that a new electoral commission has been formed and is inspecting the voting lists.
Analysts said the military justification for its takeover cannot be upheld because, by taking power, the military violated its own constitution that it drafted in 2008.
Civil leader Suu Kyi has been held incommunicado since she was arrested hours before the military took over. She is under house arrest, accused of violating the import and export law, while deposed President Win Myint is accused of violating the natural disaster management law – charges that have been described as “forged”.
Myanmar’s human rights organization, Association for Assistance to Political Prisoners (AAPP), has documented at least 133 government officials and lawmakers and 14 activists detained since the coup.
“There is reasonable concern that the military junta will turn these peaceful demonstrations into a riot and take advantage of instability,” said AAPP Deputy Secretary Bo Kyo.
“Whenever state institutions are unstable, it is the most marginalized sectors of society that suffer. The military has a way of blaming someone or another group. This should not be allowed. The peaceful march towards democracy must succeed.”
Pauline Lockwood, Radina Gigova and Richard Roth of CNN contributed to the report.