Massive anti-coup protests have been organized across Myanmar despite the restrictions imposed by the military government. Photo supplied to Global Voices by a citizen journalist who did not wish to be identified.
Myanmar’s military grabbed power on February 1, after it accused the ruling party, the National League for Democracy (NLD) of conspiracy and electoral fraud in the November 2020 general election.
Previously, Myanmar lived under a military dictatorship for several decades until political reforms led to civilian rule in 2010. During the historic 2015 election, the pro-democracy NLD defeated a military-backed party although the Tatmadaw, as the armed forces are called in Myanmar, are assured of representation in the Parliament, Cabinet, and other branches of government as stipulated in the military-drafted 2008 constitution.
The 2020 election was again dominated by the NLD, yet the military contested the results citing alleged massive irregularities in the roll of voters, and eventually arrested leaders of the NLD and top officials of the government. The military has vowed to conduct another election after implementing reforms.
The coup has been rejected by NLD supporters and citizens who consider the actions of the military a reversal of the country’s democratic transition. A civil disobedience movement was immediately launched to oppose the coup. Medical front-liners were among those who supported the campaign and community protests were organized every day despite the ban on mass gatherings.
The internet was disrupted several times, and the military has introduced a cybersecurity bill that allows authorities to block online content. A general strike was held on February 22, which succeeded in gathering a record number of participants across the country. On February 28, a nationwide crackdown led to the killing of at least 18 protesters. Hundreds have been arrested.
Global solidarity for Myanmar continues to grow stronger although the junta seems unfazed and determined to cling to power.
Global Voices’ coverage features stories and eyewitness accounts of citizen journalists, media partners, and local researchers.
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"If we oppose the dictatorship, they might shoot us. But we have to oppose dictatorship. It’s our duty. That’s why so many people are coming out today against them."
Flights carrying ‘seafood’ between China and Myanmar fuel speculation about Beijing's support for the military coup
There's also speculation that the recurring power outages in Myanmar in the past few days are related to the testing and setup of Myanmar's version of The Great Firewall.
Myanmar introduces ‘draconian’ cyber security bill amid growing anti-coup protests
'It can be expected that the true aim of the bill is to repress freedom of expression online and ban social networks.'
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"Today the people of Myanmar are rising up against the military regime, demanding democracy. This is no longer a protest. It's an uprising."
Citizens launch civil disobedience campaign on second day of Myanmar coup
"Than Pone means iron bucket. Than Pone Tee means Playing Iron Buckets. In our tradition, playing Iron Buckets means casting out evil spirits."
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"People are disheartened by the news and mostly sharing information about each other’s whereabouts and safety measures. We have all seen this coming but it’s surreal when it actually happens."
