Myanmar anti-coup protesters keep pressure on junta

Vast numbers of people all over Myanmar flouted orders against demonstrations Sunday to march again in protest against military takeover that ousted elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.

Large demonstrations were held in major cities of Yangon, Mandalay and capital, Naypyitaw, as well as in far-flung areas dominated by ethnic mirities.

Protesters in Yangon again rallied outside Chinese and U.S. embassies. y accuse Beijing of propping up military regime and applaud Washington’s actions sanctioning military.

“ civil disobedience movement and demonstrations show that people of Myanmar want democracy. We stand with m,” said a statement Saturday on U.S. Embassy’s Twitter account.

Or protesters carried signs urging people to boycott businesses linked to military.

Civil servants have been very active in protests, and social media postings on Sunday indicated that state railway workers have joined m, with some unconfirmed claims that y have gone on strike.

military seized power on Feb. 1, detaining Suu Kyi and members of her government and preventing recently elected lawmakers from opening a new session of Parliament.

junta, led by Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, said it was forced to step in because government failed to properly investigate allegations of fraud in last year’s election, which Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party won in a landslide. state election commission refuted that contention, saying re is evidence to support it.

Eight days of street demonstrations are estimated to have drawn hundreds of thousands of people to streets despite threat of six months' imprisonment for violating an order banning garings of five or more people. same order imposes an 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. curfew.

Protesters also have reason to fear for ir personal safety, as police have used rubber bullets to try to break up some demonstrations. A 19-year-old woman who was shot in he with what experts said was live ammunition at a protest in Naypyitaw was on life support in a hospital and was t expected to recover.

Tributes to woman were held Sunday by protesters in Yangon and Mandalay, Myanmar's second-biggest city.

Public concern is also rising at what many charge is military’s manipulation of criminals released from prison to carry out violence and instill panic.

government last week declared an amnesty that led to release of more than 23,000 convicts. re are many claims on social media that some have been recruited by authorities to carry out violent activities at night in residential areas to spre panic, especially by setting fires. Some areas have set up ir own neighborhood watch groups in response.

truth of allegations about government-directed thugs is difficult to verify, even with videos claiming to show ir activities. re is historical precedent, as military released convicts to carry out violence and cause chaos in 1988 during a failed popular uprising against a military dictatorship.

re was alrey outr at nighttime raids during curfew period in which security personnel have tried to seize people from ir homes.

In several cases, neighbors and ors people rushed to scene in such numbers that security forces abandoned ir attempts to haul in ir targets. Videos of such raids were widely posted on social media.

Detainees have included political leers, government officials, civil servants, activists and student leers. Medical personnel have been singled out because ir community initiated civil disobedience campaign against military takeover and remains in its vanguard.

independent Assistance Association for Political Prisoners says 384 people have been detained since coup, with 360 still being held. Suu Kyi remains under house arrest, but a remand order holding her on a mir charge of possessing unregistered imported walkie-talkies expires Monday.

(Im Credit: AP)