Myanmar's Love Affair With Democracy
"It is found that protesters have raised their incitement towards riot and anarchy mob on the day of 22 February.""Protesters are now inciting the people, especially emotional teenagers and youths, to a confrontation path where they will suffer the loss of life."State Administration Council -- military junta"[Authorities are] exercising utmost restraint through minimum use of force [when dealing with the protests.]""[Statements and remarks made by some foreign countries are] tantamount to flagrant interference in internal affairs of Myanmar.""[The ministry calls on diplomats to] respect the laws and regulations of the receiving state.""[A] free and fair general election [will take place].""[Despite] unlawful demonstrations, incitements of unrest and violence, the authorities concerned are exercising utmost restraint through minimum use of force to address the disturbances."Myanmar's Foreign Ministry
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| Protesters hold signs featuring Aung San Suu Kyi as they take part in a demonstration against the military coup in Yangon on February 22. |
"Today we have decided the set of targeted measures with ministers in response to these events.""Then we took the political agreement to apply sanctions targeting the military responsible for the coup and their economic interests."European Union's foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell"[I am] horrified at more loss of life [as the military] escalates its brutality in Myanmar.""From water cannons to rubber bullets to tear gas and now hardened troops firing point blank at peaceful protesters.""This madness must end, now!"UN Special Rapporteur for human rights in Myanmar, Tom Andrews"Us young people have our dreams but this military coup has created so many obstacles.""That's why we come out to the front of the protests."Ko Pay, protester, Yangon
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| Protesters gather for a demonstration against the military coup in Yangon on February 22. |
Sunday saw huge crowds in Myanmar out once again to denounce the military coup that took place on the first of February. Defiant even following the bloodiest episode of the campaign that occurred the day before when security forces fired on protesters, killing two people in the crowd. The demonstrations, despite warnings from the military, have been ongoing, leading to a civil disobedience campaign of strikes protesting the coup -- alongside the detention of leader Aung San Suu Kyi and others in her cabinet.
The military's promise of new elections has been less than convincing to those marching out in protest shouting their right to a democratic government. In Mandalay, tens of thousands of people massed peacefully, seemingly unafraid of consequences and the warning of the military, despite the two deaths of the day before. "They aimed at the heads of unarmed civilians. They aimed at our future", one young protester said, speaking to the crowd.
People were laying down flowers in a memorial for the dead protesters, as large crowds continued marching in the central towns; south, east and northeast. Buddhist monks in a flotilla of boats held aloft portraits of Suu Kyi alongside signs reading "military coup -- end". Over two weeks of protests had been carried out peacefully and then came Saturday and violence ensued. "The number of people will increase ... We won't stop", claimed protester Yin Nyein Hmway, in Yangon.
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It all began with a confrontation between security forces and striking shipyard workers -- with video clips posted on social media showing security force members firing at protesters. The strikers, according to state-run Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper, sabotaged boats at the city's river port, attacking police with sticks, knives and catapults leaving eight officers and several soldiers injured. "Some of the aggressive protesters were also injured due to the security measures conducted by the security force in accordance with the law", commented the newspaper ... managing to overlook the deaths.
Including that of Mya Thwate Khang, a young female protester who was the first to be killed during Friday's demonstrations; shot in the head, in the capital of Myanmar, Naypyitaw. All this in defence of democracy. A democracy that strangely enough saw minority Rohingya butchered by the military, hounded from their homes, their villages put to the torch, producing 700,000 refugees fleeing over the border into Bangladesh; a minority population of an estimated million Muslims in a Buddhist country.
The unaddressed plight may have signalled a green light to the Chinese Communist Party to pursue its genocidal agenda against the Turkic Muslim Uyghurs in Xinjiang. Now, all that's missing is Beijing's outraged condemnation of Myanmar's human rights abuses from China's pedestal on the UN Security Council.
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| A protester waves the National League for Democracy (NLD) flag while others take part in a demonstration against the military coup in Yangon on February 22. |
Labels: Demonstrations, Military Junta, Myanmar, Suu Kyi, Violence, World Condemnation
posted by Pieface @ Wednesday, February 24, 2021
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