military of “severe consequences” for any harsh responses to the pro-democracy demonstrations that are currently being carried out in the country.
Despite the deployment of soldiers and armoured vehicles in some of the major cities in the country, demonstrators continued to carry out their campaign, denouncing the military take over on February 1, and demanding the release of the country’s civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, and other government figures who are being detained.
The protests across the cities and towns in the country also led to strikes which are crippling many functions of government. Live images broadcast by media also showed demonstrators swarming a stretch of a railway track chanting “Release our leaders immediately,” and “People’s power, give it back”. This led to the termination of train services between Yangon and the southern city of Mawlamyine.
Subsequently, early on Tuesday, the military cut off internet services for a second consecutive time, although it was restored once again around 9am local time.
Meanwhile, UN Special Envoy on Myanmar, Christine Schraner Burgener, spoke to the deputy head of the junta on Monday, and urged the military to respect the right of peaceful assembly.
“Ms Schraner Burgener has reinforced that the right of peaceful assembly must fully be respected and that demonstrators are not subjected to reprisals,” UN spokesman Farhan Haq said. “She has conveyed to the Myanmar military that the world is watching closely, and any form of heavy-handed response is likely to have severe consequences.”
Although violence discharged against the demonstrators has been limited compared with that under previous juntas, however, the police did open fire, mostly with rubber bullets, in order to disperse the protesters. One such demonstrator who was shot in the head during a protest last week is not expected to survive.
The recent crackdown in the Southeast Asian country prompted criticism from Western countries, with the United States imposing sanctions against the ruling generals who directed the coup. However, China has taken a softer approach, claiming that the matter was Myanmar’s ‘internal issue’.
