Protesters launch strike in Myanmar on coup anniversary

dpa Bangkok Protesters in Myanmar launched an “anti-coup strike” nationwide on Tuesday to mark the anniversary of the generals’ putsch, according to parti...

dpaBangkok Protesters in Myanmar launched an “anti-coup strike” nationwide on Tuesday to mark the anniversary of the generals’ putsch, according to participants and local news outlets.The military in the South-East Asian country staged a coup on February 1 last year and ousted the civilian head of government, Aung San Suu Kyi.Since then, Myanmar has been plunged into chaos and violence. The Myanmar military has been launching attacks and raids on protesters and civilians across the country to stop anti-coup activities.Protesters launched scattered protests early Tuesday morning in many different cities across the country, shouting chants for freedom and justice.“They [the junta forces] asked the civilians ‘Who dares to be killed?’ But still the civilians are fighting against them. We want to ask them back now. Are they still confident to stay against the people?” Lin Pin, a protester in Mandalay, told dpa.Artwork and graphics critical of the coup were seen in many cities.Civilians in many different cities also joined the “silent strike” as a protest on the day of the coup anniversary, which shut down businesses and emptied the streets in an attempt to defy the coup.“I don’t go to work today. Because even if I can’t join the real protests on the ground, I have to join this,” Sin Sin, 23, a saleswoman in Yangon, told dpa.Activists urged people to stay indoors and businesses and plants to be closed on the day of anniversary.The junta has threatened to arrest anyone participating in the silent strike.Meanwhile, the United Nations is looking into reports that well over 1,000 individuals have been killed in Myanmar in the past year in circumstances that may qualify as crimes against humanity or war crimes, a UN official said on Tuesday.Nicholas Koumjian, the head of the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar, said that security forces have detained thousands of civilians in circumstances that include credible allegations of arbitrary detention, torture, sexual violence and even killings while in detention.