The Southeast Asian country’s top generals led a putsch on February 2021 after five years of tense power-sharing under a quasi-civilian political system created by the military
A street pictured during the “silent strike” to protest in Yangon Wednesday. Pic/AFP
Protesters marked the two-year anniversary of Myanmar’s military coup with a “silent strike” in major cities and rallies overseas on Wednesday, as exiled civilian leaders vowed to end what they called the army’s “illegal power grab”.
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The Southeast Asian country’s top generals led a putsch on February 2021 after five years of tense power-sharing under a quasi-civilian political system created by the military. The overthrow of the elected government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi derailed a decade of reform, international engagement and economic growth, while leaving a trail of upended lives in its wake. Myanmar has been in chaos since the coup, with a resistance movement fighting the military on multiple fronts after a bloody crackdown on opponents that saw Western sanctions re-imposed.
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A military-backed security council was due to issue a statement on Wednesday that could decide whether to extend a state of emergency, ahead of a promised election this year that critics call a sham aimed at retaining power in the country. In the main commercial cities of Yangon and Mandalay, images on social media showed deserted streets in what coup opponents said was a silent protest against the junta. Democracy activists had urged people not to go onto the streets between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.. There was also a rally in Yangon by about 100 supporters of the military, flanked by soldiers, photographs showed.
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