Tens of thousands demonstrated in Myanmar against the coup: “Long live Mother Sue!”

In Yangon, the economic capital of Myanmar that also served as its ruling capital until 2005, masses of protesters wore red shirts or carried red balloons, the color that represents Suu Kyi’s party, the National League for Democracy. The protesters waved posters with pictures of Su Chi and waved three fingers in the air, a salute that became a symbol of protest against the rule of the military junta.

They chanted various slogans, including “We do not want a military dictatorship! We want democracy!”. At a major intersection in the city, near Yangon University, about 2,000 workers and students shouted “Long live Mother Su!” And “Enough of the military dictatorship!”. The drivers who passed by the protesters honked at them in support. At the gates of the university, about 100 members of the security forces stood with equipment to disperse demonstrations and blocked the entrance to the institution, but no clashes were reported between the demonstrators and the police. The latter were nevertheless prepared for such a possibility, and two water cannons were seen parked nearby.

This mass protest is taking place despite the fact that over the weekend the military authorities almost completely toppled the internet in Myanmar, blocking among other things the Burmese’s access to Facebook, their main source of news. Access to Twitter and Instagram was also blocked. According to the Reuters news agency, restrictions were also imposed on the phone lines. Just as protesters filled Yangon streets, city residents reported that Internet access had been partially renewed.

Even before the renewed access to the Internet, some surfers still managed to broadcast pictures of the protest on social networks. One of them, who posted on his Facebook page what was happening in Yangon, explained to Reuters that by actually showing the pictures to the world, the protesters can be kept safe. “They have already started disabling the Internet – if they continue to rule they will oppress us even more in education, business, health,” said Thu Thu, 57, who had already been arrested in previous demonstrations for democracy in the late 1980s, when the military junta suppressed The popular protest with great cruelty that resulted in the deaths of thousands. “That’s why we have to do it,” Theo added.

A 22-year-old man who was also walking the streets of Yangon, along with ten of his friends, said: “We can not accept the coup.” The young man who asked to remain anonymous added that “this is for our future. We must get out.” Mew Wayne, 37, told the AFP news agency: “We will step forward and continue to demand until they grant us democracy.”

Thousands also gathered in other cities to protest against the coup. While no clashes were reported in Yangon, in another city, Miyavadi in the southeast of the country, gunshots were heard during a police raid on a crowd of hundreds of protesters. No casualties have been reported so far.

In the southern coastal city of Welmain, about 100 motorcyclists rode in protest, and a protest convoy of motorcyclists was also seen in the capital Nifidao. In the city of Mandalay in central Myanmar, doctors and students gathered for the demonstration. In the town of Paiathonzo in southeastern Myanmar a crowd of protesters gathered in front of the local police station, where some of the lawmakers arrested by the army during the coup were apparently detained. The demonstrators stayed overnight in front of the station, singing songs of protest in favor of democracy.

“All the signs are that the anti – coup demonstrations are gaining momentum,” Burmese historian Tkent Mint wrote in a Twitter tweet. “On the one hand, in light of history, we can certainly expect the response to come. On the other hand, the company in Myanmar today is very different from 1988 and even from 2007. Anything is possible.”

The first signs of a protest were seen in Myanmar as early as last Wednesday, when dozens of medical teams across the country declared a partial strike. Also on Friday, protesters were seen taking to the streets, and residents pounded pots and pans. According to Reuters, also yesterday, Saturday, tens of thousands went out to protest in Yangon.

So far the military authorities have not responded to the expanding protest, and have tried to avoid clashes with the protesters. The army announced its seizure of power a week ago. Early in the morning, soldiers raided the homes of many elected leaders and arrested them, led by Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi and symbolic president Wein Mint, who is a member of Soo Chi’s party.

Authorities have accused Su Chi and Mint of rather negligible offenses, which are perceived by many as an excuse to keep them in custody. Against Suu Kyi, authorities claim she illegally imported six walkie-talkies, and her detention was extended until February 15. Her lawyer said she was not allowed to visit her.

The army announced shortly after the coup that it intended to hold on to power for one year. A statement posted on his television channel explained the coup in allegations he had made in recent weeks that there had been widespread fraud in the November election last year. In the elections, Su Chi’s party won a landslide victory over the rival party, which is considered affiliated with the military.

The allegations of forgery were rejected by the state election commission, but the army claimed that the commission “failed” to address the issue and therefore they were forced to act. “If the problem is not resolved, it will make it difficult to move to democracy, and therefore must be resolved by law,” the military said in a statement.

Su Chi, 75, came to power in 2016, following free elections in the country a year earlier, but was forced to share it with the military, which refused to completely relinquish its power. Under the constitution he drafted, the military retained control of key ministries such as the Ministry of Defense, and was promised 25% of the seats in parliament.

In recent years, Suu Kyi has come under heavy criticism from human rights activists – the same ones who previously praised her for her heroism – following her appearance alongside the Myanmar army after being accused of carrying out massacres against the country’s Rohingya. Despite this criticism, within the country, Su Chi is gaining much sympathy among the Buddhist majority, as evidenced by last year’s election results.