Hundreds of thousands of people in Myanmar answered a call for a general strike on Monday. This strike is to protest the military coup and is bringing cities to a standstill, despite fears of violent repercussions. This strike is the most coordinated and largest sine the coup began on February 1. Protestors hope to send the message that they will risk crippling the economy and death to achieve democracy.
Resistance has been growing since the elected government of Myanmar was ousted three weeks ago. The country has been turned to direct military rule after a decade of quasi-democratic experiment. More than 400 people have been detained and charged with minor infractions to keep them in jail, including civilian leader Aung san Suu Kyi and president Win Myint. The coup has been condemned by the international community. The protestors chose February 22 because of the date’s numerical similarity to the student-led uprising against military rule on 8.8.88 33 years ago.
Read more: Myanmar grinds to a halt as hundreds of thousands strike against military coup
