Protests against the takeover of arms are on the rise as nearly 300 politicians from the overthrowing ruling party oppose the cup.
The lawyer for elected leader Myanmar Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint who dismissed the pair said the pair were in house arrest and unable to meet them while hundreds of students and teachers intervene in anti-coup protests.
Khin Maung Zaw’s lawyer said on Friday he was seeking the two’s unconditional release but was told they were still under investigation.
“We expect justice from the judge, but he’s not sure.” We hope for the best but prepare for the worst. In fact, we want to release her unconditionally because they did not break the law, ”her lawyer told reporters in the capital, Naypyidaw.
Later on Friday, mobile operators and internet service providers in Myanmar were instructed by the government to block access to Twitter and Instagram in the country until an “additional message” is sent, according to Norwegian telecom Telenor .
The news came a day after authorities ordered internet providers to ban Facebook.
Supporters hand over roses to police as four arrested protesters show up in Mandalay court [AP]
Meanwhile, nearly 300 members of the National League of Democracy (NLD) party cited Suu Kyi as the only legitimate representatives of the people and demanded international recognition as the country’s government amid protests. against taking up arms going up.
They said they had named a committee to carry out parliamentary actions, according to the NLD Facebook page.
In a letter to the United Nations and the international community posted on social media, the party also called for targeted sanctions and for businesses to cut ties with the military, which has a large and beneficial grip. .
Politicians were expected to take their seats on Monday in a new session of parliament, when they were arrested by the military and declared in power for a year.
Most of them have since been released.
On the streets of Myanmar, hundreds of students and teachers joined the protests against Friday to demand the return of military power to elected politicians.
Demonstrations spread to several parts of the country, even in the tightly controlled Naypyidaw.
The cup fight first started in Yangon, the country ‘s largest city, with people banging pots and vans outside their window every evening to keep them from being targeted. But now people are more vocal and visible, and students and medical staff have taken the lead.
In all, about 400 protesters gathered at two universities in Yangon, some with a three-pronged welcome, a sign of an attack borrowed from Hunger Games films, which they took from protesters. against the government in neighboring Thailand.
They sang “Long live Mother Suu” – a reference to Suu Kyi – and “We don’t want an armed dictatorship”.
Ministry of Racial Affairs staff maintain red-ribbon signs as they stand for pictures as a protest against a military coup in Naypyidaw [Stringer/AFP]
“We will never be with them,” lecturer Nwe Thazin said of the military at a protest at Yangon University of Education. “We want that kind of government to fall apart as soon as possible.”
At the Dagon University budget, meanwhile, many had papers printed with images of red ribbons – a symbol of the civil disobedience campaign demanded by Suu Kyi’s activists and party.
“I believe we need to lead this movement,” said student Min Han Htet. “Everyone, including the students, has to take down the armed junta. We need to make sure that juntas don’t reappear in the next generation. “
There was at least one show on Friday in Naypyidaw – quite unusual for the city, which was purposely built by the previous military government – that has a heavy military presence and lacks tradition. complaint of the old capital, Yangon.