Myanmar military coup: Martial law declared in seven townships in Mandalay

Amid Myanmar crisis and third day of nationwide protests calling for Aung San Suu Kyi’s release, martial law has been declared in its biggest cities including Yangon and Mandalay, night curfew has been imposed and gathering of more than five people have been banned, reported Bloomberg News. Martial law was declared on February 8 in seven townships in the Southeast Asian nation’s second-biggest city, Mandalay. The General Administration Department (GAD) reportedly said that people are banned from protesting or gathering in groups of more than five with the curfew being imposed from 8 PM to 4 AM until further notice. 

The announcement came after tens of thousands of people demonstrated for the third day in a row across towns and cities against the military taking control of the nation and detaining prominent civilian leaders including Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi on February 1. The demonstrators have been using social media to quickly organise protests and showcase massive support to the civilian government and outrage against the military. 

Meanwhile, Aung Kyaw Soe, chair of Taikkyi Township Administration Council, reportedly confirmed the order of martial law in Yangon where nation’s biggest protests in over a decade began with an online campaign for ‘civil disobidience’. It had further spread to other townships leading to internet shutdown and block platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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Military indicated signs of cracking down demonstrations

As per the report, ahead of the announcement, the military regime had indicated that it was going to impose a crackdown on demonstrators using water canons on crowds in the capital Naypyidaw before issuing a threat of using live ammunition. The military had also posted a statement on state-ownedd Myanmar Radio and Televion saying “democracy and human rights” were being exploited by certain groups and any act that causes any harm to teh stability of the Southeast nation would be prosecuted. 

“We urge all people who want justice, freedom, equality and peace not only to reject the perpetrators but also to work together for the good of the nation and the people,” the statement said. Besides Yangon, martial law was announced in Mandalay.

Myanmar is under the control of the military and a state of emergency for a year with reports stating that State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and other government leaders have been detained. In the run-up to the November 2020 election, Army chief Min Aung Hlaing, who has acquired the power of the nation now, had claimed that civilian government was making "unacceptable mistakes". 

The military alleged that the elections were full of ‘irregularities’ and questioned the veracity of at least 9 million votes cast in November 2020 even though the country’s election commission rejected the claims of fraud. Myanmar military stressed that it will protect and abide by its constitution. However, the coup has triggered protests across the nation calling for Suu Kyi’s release. It has now been three days since protesters flooded the streets in organised protests.

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Image credits: The Associated Press