Thousands of people in Myanmar participated in protest marches over the weekend, decrying the military coup. tensions escalated, police confronted one of the rallies and reportedly fired shots in the air
The incident, which reportedly happened in the border town of Myawaddy on Sunday, shows the fragility of the situation. The mass protests – the largest Myanmar has seen since the 2007 crisis – have so far been largely peaceful, but the country remains in a volatile state since the start of the coup on Monday.
In Yangon, people wore red shirts and held red balloons, the color of Ms. Suu Kyi’s party, while cars and buses slowed to sound their horns in support. Many flashed the three-finger salute, a symbol of defiance against authoritarianism in the region.
In addition to going on marches; the protesters were trying to make themselves heard by banging on pots and pans during evening hours. The traditional ritual is usually used to ward off evil, but it has been repurposed for a political cause.
Internet shutdown
The Myanmar Ministry of Transport and Communications (MoTC) ordered the nationwide shutdown of the data network on Saturday; according to Norwegian telecommunications company Telenor Group, which runs Telenor Myanmar.
The group, writing on Twitter, said the ministry cited “Myanmar’s Telecommunication Law, and references circulation of fake news, the stability of the nation and interest of the public as a basis for the order.”
“They blocked the Internet, whatever, we will keep going” A groundswell of resistance against the military coup is building, with tens of thousands in the streets of Yangon and other cities. Story w/ @ANachemson @TMclaughlin3 https://t.co/o4Sa9YBdpN
— Shibani Mahtani (@ShibaniMahtani) February 7, 2021
The fall in connectivity follows moves to block access to social media platforms Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, as well as a number of prominent local news outlets.
Facebook confirmed on Thursday, That telecom provider in Myanmar were told to temporarily block it; while monitoring group NetBlocks Internet Observatory reported “a near-total internet shutdown” in the country on Saturday.
Access in the country had reportedly partially improved as of Sunday.
Despite the internet shutdown imposed by the military, Communication between protesters Sunday was largely through SMS texts, phone calls, and word of mouth; according to a witness in Yangon. On Saturday, crowds announced where to gather Sunday, resulting in an apparently improved organization, the witness said.
Monday’s coup has been widely condemned internationally; with the United States calling on Myanmar’s military leaders to “immediately relinquish the power they have seized; release the activists and officials they have detained, lift all telecommunications restrictions, and refrain from violence against civilians.”