Myanmar witnesses massive protests demanding Aung San Suu Kyi's release

Myanmar on Sunday 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. According to reports, protesters demanded the immediate release of political leaders, including State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi. The protest comes on a day the military junta ended the internet ban in the country, which only served as fuel to the fire. 

Read: Myanmar Protester: We Don't Want A Military Dictator

Demonstrators were seen wearing red bandanas, holding red flags and balloons in support of jailed leader Aung San Suu Kyi, whose political party's primary colour is red. Protesters were reportedly heard chanting, "we don't want a dictatorship, we want democracy." Sunday was the second day when thousands of protesters took to the streets to protest against the coup since it occurred last week. 

The coup has garnered condemnation from all over the world, including from the United Nations, which called for the immediate release of Suu Kyi. The military junta has arrested hundreds of people considered close to Suu Kyi since last week, including her economic adviser, an Australia professor named Sean Turnell.

Myanmar coup

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

Read: Myanmar Coup: Internet Partially Restored Amid Ongoing Demonstrations

The military levelled allegations of election fraud and irregularities as their justification for the detainment of leaders. Suu Kyi's party had won the November 2020 election by a landslide, capturing 396 out of 476 seats in the parliament, a mandate much larger than in the 2015 polls. The election was monitored by international observers who certified it as "fair". Experts suggest the military feared that if Suu Kyi returns to power with a bigger majority, she would decrease the number of parliamentary seats reserved for the Army's proxy party.

Read: Myanmar: Thousands Rally For The Second Day In Defiance Of Military Coup

Prior to the 2020 election, Suu Kyi had promised to amend the constitution, saying the military representation in the parliament will be substantially reduced in the coming decade. According to Myanmar's constitution, the military, which drafted laws in 2011, has 25% of the parliamentary seats reserved for itself, meaning the political parties can fight only for the remaining seats in elections, something that Suu Kyi had promised to change.

Read: Myanmar Junta Blocks Internet Access As Coup Protests Expand