On Wednesday, Myanmar marked the second anniversary of the military coup with a nationwide “silent strike”.
Protesters also held rallies abroad as exiled civilian leaders vowed to end what they called “the army’s illegal power grab.”
The Southeast Asian country’s top generals led a coup in February 2021 after five years of tense power-sharing under a quasi-civilian political system created by the military.
The overthrow of the elected government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi derailed a decade of reform, international engagement and economic growth, leaving a trail of upended lives in its wake.
Chaos reigns in Myanmar in the aftermath of the coup, with a resistance movement battling the military on multiple fronts after a bloody crackdown on opponents that have been re-imposed by Western sanctions.
The military-backed Security Council is due to release a statement on Wednesday that could decide to extend the state of emergency ahead of promised elections this year, which critics call a sham aimed at maintaining power in the country.
In the main commercial cities of Yangon and Mandalay, social media images showed deserted streets in what opponents of the coup said was a silent protest against the junta.
Democratic activists urged people not to go outside from 10:00 to 15:00.
A rally was also held in Yangon, which was attended by about 100 military supporters surrounded by soldiers, photos show.
In Thailand, hundreds of anti-coup protesters rallied outside the Myanmar embassy in Bangkok.
“This year is crucial for us to completely eradicate the military regime,” said Acharya, a Buddhist monk who attended the rally.
Others in the crowd chanted “We are the people, we have a future” and “The revolution must win.”
Activists also staged a protest in the Philippine capital Manila.
The junta discusses the situation
The army-backed National Defense and Security Council (NDSC) met on Tuesday to discuss the situation in Myanmar, including the actions of the Government of National Unity (NUG), a shadow administration formed by adversaries, and the so-called People’s Defense Forces fighting the army. , according to state media.
“There have been discussions about unusual circumstances in the country in which they are trying to seize state power in an insurgent and terrorist manner,” military-owned media outlet Myawaddy reported on Tuesday.
Myawaddy said the NDSC planned to release a “required statement” on Feb. 1 without giving further details.
A phone call to a military representative asking for comment was not answered.
Myanmar’s military came to power after complaining about fraud in the November 2020 general election, which was won by Suu Kyi’s party. Election monitoring groups found no evidence of massive fraud.
The junta, led by Min Aung Hlaing, says its crackdown is a legitimate campaign against “terrorists”.
He declared a state of emergency for a year when he came to power and has since extended it twice by six months, with the final phase expiring on Wednesday.
The constitution allows for two extensions, although some sections appear to provide more flexibility in this matter.
The NUG issued a statement of defiance, saying “together with ethnic allies who have opposed the military for decades, we will end the military’s illegal power grab.”
More sanctions
The United States and its allies, including Britain, Australia and Canada, imposed further sanctions on Myanmar on Tuesday, including on energy officials and members of the junta.
The junta promised to hold elections in August this year. State media recently announced tough requirements for parties to participate in elections, a move that critics say could sideline military opponents and bolster their influence in politics.
Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) party was destroyed in the coup, thousands of its members were arrested or imprisoned, including Suu Kyi, and many others went into hiding.
He called the elections scheduled for this year “fake” and said he would not recognize them. Elections have also been dismissed as a sham by Western governments.
About 1.2 million people have been displaced and more than 70,000 have fled the country, which accuses the military of war crimes and crimes against humanity, according to the United Nations.
