Hundreds of anti-coup protesters marched in Myanmar's biggest city of Yangon on Monday on the third day of street demonstrations against a coup a week ago in which the army detained elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
Myanmar's military leader said on Monday his junta would hold a new election and hand power to the winner as tens of thousands of people took to the streets for a third day to protest against the coup that overthrew Aung San Suu Kyi's civilian government.
YANGON (Reuters): Police fired a water cannon at protesters in the Myanmar capital on Monday (Feb 8) as tens of thousands of people across the country joined a third day of demonstrations against the military's removal of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi a week ago.
Protesters who are marching and riding motorbikes fill a road in Mandalay, Myanmar, on Feb. 8. (AP Photo)
Police fired a water cannon at protesters in the Myanmar capital on Monday as tens of thousands of people across the country joined a third day of demonstrations against the military’s removal of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi a week ago.
Calls to join protests and to back a campaign of civil disobedience have grown louder and more organized since last Monday’s coup, which drew widespread international condemnation.
“We health workers are leading this campaign to urge all government staff to join the (civil disobedience movement)”, Aye Misan, a nurse at a government hospital said at a protest in the biggest city of Yangon. “Our message to the public is that we aim to completely abolish this military regime and we have to fight for our destiny.”
Authorities in Myanmar have threatened to take “action” against protesters who break the law as police fired water cannon at peaceful demonstrators in Naypyidaw and thousands of people took to the streets of major cities for a third day to denounce last week’s putsch.
A statement read by an announcer on state-run MRTV on Monday said there had been violations of the law and threats of force by groups “using the excuse of democracy and human rights”.
“Action must be taken according to the law with effective steps against offences which disturb, prevent and destroy the state’s stability, public safety and the rule of law,” the statement said.
Myanmar's military leader said on Monday his junta would hold a new election and hand power to the winner as tens of thousands of people took to the streets for a third day to protest against the coup that overthrew Aung San Suu Kyi's civilian government.
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Police have fired a water cannon at protesters in the Myanmar capital as tens of thousands of people across the country joined a third day of demonstrations against the military's removal of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi a week ago.
Calls to join protests and to back a campaign of civil disobedience have grown louder and more organised since last Monday's coup, which drew widespread international condemnation.
"We health workers are leading this campaign to urge all government staff to join the (civil disobedience movement)", Aye Misan, a nurse at a government hospital said at a protest in the biggest city of Yangon. "Our message to the public is that we aim to completely abolish this military regime and we have to fight for our destiny."