Dubai: In Myanmar, tens of thousands of people protested on Sunday against last week s coup and demanded the release of elected politician Aung San Suu Kyi, who created for herself the role of ‘State Counsellor’, which in essence made her the leader of the country. The protests are being seen as the largest people’s movement since the so-called ‘Saffron Revolution’ in 2007 which led to democratic reforms that bought Suu Kyi to power.
In Yangon, crowds sported red shirts, red flags and red balloons, the colour of Suu Kyis National League for Democracy Party (NLD). We dont want military dictatorship! We want democracy! they chanted, according to Reuters. The internet was restored in the country by the military, as its shutdown had become another lightning rod for the protesters.
Myanmar has drawn worldwide attention this week after the country s military launched a coup and arrested several senior officials, including State Counsellor Aung San.
Opinion by Jared Genser In a precision operation early Monday, Myanmar s armed forces chief Gen. Min Aung Hlaing summarily deposed the country s government, arresting state counsellor.