Pro-democracy protestors are holding a silent strike in Myanmar to mark the two year anniversary of the military coup that removed Aung San Suu Kyi from power. The activists urged people to stay at home and asked businesses to close.
The military administration of the country has extended a state of emergency for six months. Canada, Australia, the UK and the US have all announced new sanctions against firms that are linked to the army. Over a million people were displaced after the overthrow of the government two years ago. In the coup, the army made claims of fraud in a vote that was held in NOvember of 2020. Ms Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy had won the election with over 80% of the vote. The claims made by the military have been dismissed by the international community. Protestors also gathered outside Myanmar embassies in Thailand and Japan. Over 2,900 people have been killed during the military’s crackdown on dissent, one and a half million people have been displaced and 40,000 homes have been burned down. In addition, 15 million people are deemed to be dangerously short of food and eight million children are not in school. The military still refuses to negotiate with its opponents, something it promised to do shortly after the coup.
Read More: ‘Silent strike’ marks two years of military rule in Myanmar