Myanmar’s many ethnic minorities groups marched behind their regional or ethnic flags in one of the large protests Thursday that displayed the broad opposition around the country to last week’s military takeover. Myanmar’s Military coup attracted major resistance from abroad when US President Joe Biden ordered new sanctions against Myanmar and promised more measures to come. Joe Biden said that, the military must surrender power it seized and demonstrate respect for the will of the people. Daily, tens of thousands of protesters have marched in big cities of Myanmar Naypyitaw, the Capital, Yangon, Mandalay and other cities and towns. Military issued orders banning rallies and gatherings of more than five people and imposition of night curfew from 8 pm to 4 am. While the protesters have been ignoring emergency orders.
The people of Myanmar stood up against the Military action, in support of democracy to avert the oppressive military regime. The public came out to restore democracy and their elected leader Aung Sung Suu Kyi, who was to assume office on Feb 1, the date coup launched by the Burmese Military. All sections of Myanmar’s Society have joined the protesters including Civil servants, factory workers, students, Doctors, teachers, Buddhist monks, Christian clergy and the LGBTQ groups were prominent in the protest rallies across the Myanmar. The protesters were chanting slogans “Respect Our Votes” “Say No to Coup” and “We demand democracy”. The protestors were demanding release of Aung Sung Suu Kyi and other elected parliamentarians of the country.
Surprisingly, the protestors were inviting the police force to join their ranks and stand in support of democracy in the country. The protestors expressed openness for Police force by extending gifts, cold drinks, water can and flowers to police officers detailed on their way. The protestors bucked up the police while chanting slogans and displaying placard urging police to come and stand with protestors.
In the backdrop of ongoing protests, the Myanmar military imposed a nationwide internet blackout to restrict the flow of information across the country in order to lower down the temperature while securing its grip on the axis of power. Telenor Myanmar said that, the Myanmar Ministry of Transport and Communications (MoTC) ordered the nationwide shutdown of the data network amid growing protests across the country.
According to Analysts, the Myanmar’s top Military General Min Aung Hlaing had busted into rocks as the majority of the public turned in to blunt opposition to the Military rule and demanding military to step down from the power. Gen Min was set to step down from the position of Army Chief in next few months. Due to genocide of Rohingya Muslims on the hands of Myanmar military, General Min Hlaing was facing criminal charges in the international Criminal Court Hague. According to reports, General Min took over the country’s government for his personal reason on fake charges of irregularities in Nov election.
The state of Myanmar had witnessed the military rule for more than five decades in the past. The military generals mostly kept the country in isolation and plunged it into poverty, scarcity of resources and social divest. It seems, General Min Hlaing will opt the path of his forerunners and unlikely to heed the calls from international community to restore democracy and end the military rule. The only way to send the military back in barracks is public mobilization. If the protests continue large scale the Police is likely to side with the people of the Country. A Political analyst Khin Zaw Win said the “police are closer than the military” to Aung San Suu Kyi and would be more “likely to stand with protesters” than soldiers. Today, all oppressed ethnic and religious minorities had joined the protestors in Myanmar and these protests are likely to change into civil disobedience movement in coming days. The Police is likely to side with Protestors if it turns violent. Future of democracy seems to be dark and Suu Kyi likely to stay behind the bars for some more months.
