Myanmar crisis: Protesters return to streets in huge numbers despite police violence

On Wednesday, February 10, protestors returned to the streets of Myanmar’s capital Naypyitawin, in demonstrations against a military coup that removed civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Earlier, the police cracked down on demonstrators opposing Myanmar’s military coup. The police fired warning shots and used water cannons to disperse crowds that took to the streets. 

According to the reports by AP, water cannons were used in Myanmar’s second-biggest city, Mandalay. As per witnesses, two warning shots were fired first. Reports on social media said police arrested more than two dozen people there. Also, police used water cannons in the capital, Naypyidaw. There are also reports of police shooting rubber bullets and wounding several people. 

UN expresses concern

The United Nations expressed their concern over the use of 'disproportionate force' by the military against the demonstrators, calling on the security forces to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms in the country. The UN said, “According to reports from Nay Pyi Taw, Mandalay and other cities, numerous demonstrators have been injured, some of them seriously, by security forces in connection with the current protests across the country”. The UN envoy also cited the words of United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres urging the military to respect the will of the people and to adhere to democratic norms.

Read: UN Expresses 'strong Concern' For Myanmar After Police Fires Rubber Bullets At Protesters

Myanmar on February 8 witnessed one of its largest protests since the 2007 pro-democracy revolution as tens of thousands of people stormed the streets of Yangon to oppose the recent military coup. Demonstrators were seen wearing red bandanas, holding red flags and balloons in support of jailed leader Aung San Suu Kyi. However, the demonstrations were strongly snubbed by the Myanmar Police who used teargas and rubber bullets against the citizens. 

On February 1, the Burmese military forcibly detained democratically elected members of the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) party including State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, President Win Myint and other members of the Parliament. Later, the military declared a State of Emergency for one year with Myanmar Army's Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing taking charge of the country. The coup occurred a day before Myanmar's newly elected members of Parliament were supposed to be sworn-in. 

Justifying the coup, the military claimed that Suu Kyi's party had won the November 2020 election through an 'election fraud', after she secured a landslide victory capturing 396 out of 476 seats in the parliament. Even though the mandate was much larger than in the 2015 polls, the election had been monitored by international observers who certified it as "fair".

Read: Myanmar Demonstrators Defy Ban On Gatherings After Military Warns Of 'action'

Experts suggest the military feared that if Suu Kyi returned to power with a bigger majority, she would decrease the number of parliamentary seats reserved for the Army's proxy party. This, after Suu Kyi promised to amend the constitution, announcing that the military representation in the parliament will be substantially reduced in the coming decade. As per the laws drafted in 2011, the military enjoys 25% of the parliamentary seats reserved for itself.

Read: Myanmar Coup: Internet Partially Restored Amid Ongoing Demonstrations

Also Read: NZ Stopping Political, Military Contact With Myanmar

(Image Credits: AP)