Updated July 7th, 2021 at 17:20 IST
Myanmar: Protesters mark Anniversary of 1962 rallies against first military coup
Hundreds of thousands of people in Myanmar took to the streets on Wednesday, to mark the anniversary of 1962 protests against the country's first junta.
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Hundreds of thousands of people in Myanmar took to the streets on Wednesday, to mark the anniversary of 1962 protests against the country's first junta, vowing to battle its latest incarnation. The Southeast Asian country has been gripped by turmoil since February when a coup d'etat overturned the democratically elected government. Since then, violence has clouded Myanmar leading to nearly 900 deaths and over 5000 detentions.
#Yangon residents march in #Tamwe this evening to overthrow the military dictator on 7 July.#Unforgettable7thJuly#StopTorture#July7Coup#WhatsHappeningInMyanmar pic.twitter.com/kCCVe5jq8J
— Mratt Phyo (@phyothet1230)
On the 59th anniversary of the Seventh July Revolution, Myanmar people in Japan held anti coup protest movement in front of Myanmar Embassy. #StopTorture#July7Coup#WhatsHappeningInMyanmar#Unforgettable7thJuly pic.twitter.com/Iu75v0CR3u
— Kaung Khant Htoo (@KaungKhantHto10)
Protests in multiple cities
Local media reported that more than 100 people marched through the commercial capital Yangon early Wednesday. Additionally, hundreds of other people held demonstrations in Mandalay, holding signs, and in the central Sagaing region, protesters burned an army flag, images on local media showed. The 1962 protests were held in Rangoon (Yangon) university in response to the newly imposed rule of the new military regime of General Ne Win.
Channeling the spirit of student activists before us, we are marching today once again to end the military dictatorship once and for all in Myanmar. #WhatsHappeningInMyanmar #July7Coup pic.twitter.com/xVrPqsXy1T
— Civil Disobedience Movement (@cvdom2021)
Face shields and masks, we are braving both Covid-19 and SAC to get our message out. We want the outside world to reject SAC firmly and support the people of Myanmar in our quest for democracy and freedom. #WhatsHappeningInMyanmar #July7Coup pic.twitter.com/lyM3v2tApl
— Civil Disobedience Movement (@cvdom2021)
The country has continuously been ruled by military dictators, since a year after it gained independence from British rule. Suy Kyi's National League for Democracy won a thumping majority in elections in 2015 and again in 2020, relegating the main military-backed party to the opposition. However, in February this year, a military coup led by Min Aung Hlaing captured power. Since then, not only have Myanmar’s democratically elected lawmakers including ousted state counselor Aung San Suu Kyi detained but hundreds of thousands of people have lost their lives in the “fight for democracy”. According to the rights group AAPP, more than 894 people have been killed, 6522 total arrested, 5094 currently detained or sentenced while 1964 people are evading an arrest warrant as of July 7.
In the latest development, United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), urged all its member states to prevent the “flow of arms” into Myanmar, stopping short of calling for a global embargo. The non-binding resolution, which takes aim at the growing unrest in the country, also demanded Tatmadaw to immediately stop all violence against “peaceful demonstrators”
Image: phyothet1230/Twitter
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Published July 7th, 2021 at 17:19 IST