YANGON (MYANMAR) – Those opposing the military junta’s takeover of power in Myanmar have sought bigger protests on Wednesday to show that the army’s assertion of rampant public support for overthrowing the legitimately elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi and holding fresh elections was false.
Opponents voice scepticism at the junta’s promise of holding a free and fair poll and that it would hand over power.
Suu Kyi has been kept under detention since the coup on February 1 and she now faces a charge of violating a Natural Disaster Management Law apart from charges of illegally importing six walkie talkie radios.
During a virtual hearing on Tuesday, it was decided that her next hearing would be held on March 1.
“Let’s gather in millions to take down the dictators,” said activist Khin Sandar in a Facebook post.
Kyi Toe, a senior member of Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) party who has not been arrested, said: “Let’s march en masse. Let’s show our force against the coup government that has destroyed the future of youth, the future of our country.”
UN Special Rapporteur Tom Andrews expressed fears over the possibility of violence against the protesters and exhorted nations with influence over the Myanmar army top brass and businesses to press them to avoid it.
“Continued repression of the people of Myanmar’s basic liberties and human rights must end immediately,” he said in a statement.
In major cities such as Yangon, motorists heeded the “broken-down car campaign” on social media platforms by stopping their vehicles on streets feigning a breakdown to block the movement of police and military vehicles.
According to Myanmar’s Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, more than 450 arrests had been made since the military assumed power.
“Our objective is to hold an election and hand power to the winning party,” Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun, spokesman for the ruling council, said in the first news conference after the coup. Although he gave no time frame, he said the army would not be in power for long.
According to Tun, Suu Kyi and ousted President Win Myint were detained in their residences for their own safety while the law took its course.
US State Department spokesman Ned Price said that the US was “disturbed” by reports of the additional criminal charge against Suu Kyi. Fresh curbs were imposed on Myanmar military by Washington and no additional measures were announced on Tuesday.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson also slammed the new criminal charge against Suu Kyi, saying it was “fabricated” by the junta.