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Domestic reactions to use of force |
In late March, it was reported that dozens of protesters had travelled to Myanmar's border areas to enlist in and train under one of the country's many insurgent groups, elevating the risk of a countrywide civil war. The CRPH also proposed the formation of a "federal armed force" to combat the military. The CRPH proposal The Kachin Independence Army (KIA) has already been on the offensive against the military since February, and in late March the Arakan Army (AA) has threatened to end its ceasefire with the military should the latter persist in massacring civilians.
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In late March, it was reported that dozens of protesters had travelled to Myanmar's border areas to enlist in and train under one of the country's many insurgent groups, elevating the risk of a countrywide civil war. The CRPH also proposed the formation of a "federal armed force" to combat the military. The Kachin Independence Army (KIA) has already been on the offensive against the military since February, and in late March the Arakan Army (AA) has threatened to end its ceasefire with the military should the latter persist in massacring civilians.
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Domestic civil resistance efforts in Myanmar, known locally as the Spring Revolution (Burmese: နွေဦးတော်လှန်ရေး), began in early 2021 in opposition to the coup d'état on 1 February, staged by Min Aung Hlaing, the commander-in-chief of the country's armed forces, the Tatmadaw. As of 4 April 2021[update], at least 564 civilians, including children, have been killed by military or police forces and at least 2,574 people detained.
The 2021 Myanmar coup d'état began on the morning of 1 February 2021 when democratically elected members of Myanmar's ruling party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), were deposed by the Tatmadaw — Myanmar's military — which vested power in a stratocracy, the State Administration Council. The Tatmadaw declared a year-long state of emergency and declared power had been vested in Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Min Aung Hlaing. The coup d'état occurred the day before the Parliament of Myanmar was due to swear in the members elected at the November 2020 general election, thereby preventing this from occurring. President Win Myint and State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi were detained, along with ministers and their deputies and members of Parliament.
Representatives elected in the November 2020 elections have not officially recognised the legitimacy of the coup d'état. On 4 February 2021, around 70 MP-elects from the NLD took an oath of office in Naypyidaw, pledging to abide by the people's mandate, and serve as lawmakers for a five-year term. The following day, 300 elected legislators formed a committee to conduct parliamentary affairs, the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (CRPH). The committee held its first session on Zoom.
On 7 February, the parliamentary committee condemned the military coup as a "criminal act" and dismissed Min Aung Hlaing's military cabinet as being illegitimate. The committee cited the military with violating Chapter 6 of Myanmar's penal code in overthrowing the civilian government. CRPH has advised UN diplomats and the international community to contact the committee to discuss official government business.
On 2 February 2021, healthcare workers and civil servants across the country, including in the national capital, Naypyidaw, launched a national civil disobedience movement (အာဏာဖီဆန်ရေးလှုပ်ရှားမှု), in opposition to the coup d'état. A Facebook campaign group dubbed the "Civil Disobedience Movement" has attracted over 230,000 followers, since its initial launch on 2 February 2021. Min Ko Naing, an 8888 Uprising leader, has urged the public to adopt a "no recognition, no participation" stance to the military regime. One expert on the government's civil service system estimated that the country had about one million civil servants and that about three-quarters of them had walked off their jobs.
Healthcare workers from dozens of state-run hospitals and institutions initiated a labour strike starting 3 February 2021. As of 3 February 2021, healthcare workers in over 110 hospitals and healthcare agencies have participated in the movement. Six of the 13 members of the Mandalay City Development Committee, including vice-mayor Ye Mon, resigned on 3 February 2021, in protest against the coup d'état. Labor strike participants have faced intimidation and threats from superiors. By 9 February, COVID vaccination had been suspended, the country's testing system had collapsed and most hospitals in Myanmar had shut down.
The labour strikes have quickly spread to other sectors. Seven teacher organisations, including the 100,000-strong Myanmar Teachers' Federation, have pledged to join the labour strike. Staff in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, formerly led by Aung San Suu Kyi, have also joined the strike. On 4 February 2021, in Naypyidaw, civil servants employed at the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation staged a protest. On 5 February 2021, 300 copper miners at the Kyisintaung copper mines joined the strike campaign. Miner Sithu Tun stated that the strike would continue until the "elected leaders receive[d] their power back".
By 5 February 2021, the civil service strike included administrative, medical, and educational sector staff and students at "91 government hospitals, 18 universities and colleges and 12 government departments in 79 townships". Nan Nwe, a member of the psychology department at Yangon University stated, "As we teach students to question and understand justice, we can't accept this injustice. Our stand is not political. We only stand up for the justice." Lynn Letyar, a surgeon at Lashio General Hospital, stated that most doctors and nurses had been on strike since 3 February 2021. Staff from Myanmar National Airlines also joined the civil disobedience campaign.
On 8 February, news emerged that state-run newspapers Kyemon and the Global New Light of Myanmar intended to halt publications to protest the coup. On 8 February, all of workers from Myanmar railways participated in the movement and so, the railway transportation is completely stopped. On 8 February, Kanbawza Bank temporarily closed its branches due to staffing shortages resulting from KBZ staff participating in the civil disobedience campaign. Other banks were also impacted by staff participation in the ongoing campaign. On 9 February, staff from the Central Bank of Myanmar joined the movement.
On 5 February, Kirin Company ended its joint venture with the military-owned Myanma Economic Holdings Limited (MEHL). The joint venture, Myanmar Brewery, produces several brands of beer, including Myanmar Beer, and has an 80% market share in the country. Kirin's stake had been valued at US$1.7 billion. On 8 February, Lim Kaling, co-founder of Razer Inc., announced he was divesting his stake in a joint venture with a Singaporean tobacco company that owns a 49% stake in Virginia Tobacco, a local tobacco manufacturer that is majority-owned by MEHL. Virginia Tobacco produces 2 popular local cigarette brands, Red Ruby and Premium Gold.
Since the onset of the coup d'état, residents in urban centers such as Yangon have staged cacerolazos, striking pots and pans in unison every evening as a symbolic act to drive away evil, as a method of expressing their opposition to the coup d'état. On 5 February 2021, 30 people in Mandalay were charged under section 47 of the Police Act for banging pots and kitchenware.
On 3 February 2021, healthcare workers in Myanmar launched the red ribbon campaign (ဖဲကြိုးနီလှုပ်ရှားမှု). The color red is associated with the National League for Democracy (NLD), the incumbent political party that won the 2020 elections. Ni Ni Khin Zaw, a popular Burmese singer and medical school graduate, publicly endorsed the campaign. Civil servants and workers across Myanmar, including union-level ministries, have adopted the red ribbon as a symbol of opposition to the military regime. On 5 February 2021, copper miners at Kyinsintaung mines unable to join the labour strike joined the red ribbon campaign. On 6 February 2021, factory garment workers in Thaketa Industrial Zone joined the red ribbon campaign.
Burmese celebrities and politicians, including Paing Takhon and Daung, have publicly supported civil resistance efforts, posing with the three-finger salute in social media posts. Celebrities and social media influencers, such Sai Sai Kham Leng and Nay Chi Oo, who were silent or were slow to support the ongoing popular protests lost sizeable online followings. On 7 February, Nay Soe Maung, son-in-law of Myanmar's former dictator Than Shwe, posted a Facebook photo demonstrating support for the protests.
On 4 February 2021, telecom operators and internet service providers across Myanmar were ordered to block Facebook until 7 February 2021, to ensure the "country's stability". Myanma Posts and Telecommunications (MPT), a state-owned carrier, also blocked Facebook Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp services, while Telenor Myanmar blocked only Facebook. Facebook had been used to organise the civil disobedience campaign's labour strikes and the emerging boycott movement. Facebook is used by half of Myanmar's population. Following the Facebook ban, Burmese users had begun flocking to Twitter. The following day, the government extended the social media access ban to include Instagram and Twitter.
Following the Facebook ban, demand for VPN services surged in the country. According to a UK-based digital privacy and security research group, demand for VPN surged by more than 7000%. The free to use proxy service Psiphon, used to circumvent censorship, which has seen its user base surge from 5,000 daily users before the 1 February coup d'état to over 1.6 million users with an average of 14 million daily connections as of 15 February 2021.
On the morning of 6 February 2021, the military authorities initiated an internet outage nationwide. That same day, Facebook urged authorities to unblock social media services. Facebook also removed the Burmese government's ability to submit content removal requests. Internet access was partially restored the following day, although social media platforms remained blocked. On 14 February 2021, Telenor announced it was no longer permitted to publicly disclose the directives received from military authorities on internet disruptions. Starting on 15 February 2021, the military authorities initiated an internet outage nationwide again from 1 a.m. to 9 a.m. daily but they didn't give any reasons why they cut out.
Law enforcement authorities have acted swiftly in quelling opposition to the coup. As of 7 February 2021, 152 people were under detention in relation to the coup d'état.
The military regime has begun initiating criminal proceedings against detainees. On 3 February 2021, Thawbita, a Buddhist monk was sentenced to 2 years in prison under Section 66(d) of the Telecommunications Law, for defamation of the military. On 4 February 2021, three university students, Zu Zu Zan, Aung Myo Ko, and Htoo Khant Thaw, were charged under Section 19 of the Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession Law for protesting in Mandalay. On 5 February 2021, Maung Gyi, the chair of the United Nationalities Democratic Party, was arrested, charged and sentenced to two years under Penal Code Section 505(b) for staging a protest in Hpa-an Township, Kayin State. Cho Yu Mon, a school principal, was also arrested and charged under Penal Code Section 505(b) for taking part in a "red ribbon" campaign at her school in Hpa-an. NLD leader Win Htein was charged under Section 124(a) of Myanmar's legal code for sedition.
On 8 February 2021, authorities re-arrested Nang Khin Htwe Myint, Kayin State's chief minister, and Myint Naing, Sagaing Region's chief minister. Nang Khin Htwe Myint had published remarks online urging solidarity between soldiers and the people, pointing out that the army was funded by taxes and state funds, while Myint Naing had posted a speech calling on the public to continue protesting. On 9 February, at least 100 demonstrators were arrested in Mandalay, including mayor Ye Lwin.
On 17 February 2021, authorities issued arrest warrants for several celebrities, namely Lu Min, Pyay Ti Oo, Ko Pauk, Na Gyi, Anegga, and Wyne, for encouraging civil servants to join the ongoing civil disobedience movement. Over 1,700 people had been arrested as of 4 March.
The military has made overtures to competing political parties in the aftermath of the coup d'état. On 2 February 2021, it formed the State Administration Council, as Myanmar's interim governing body. The Council's membership included several civilian politicians, including Mahn Nyein Maung, a former member of the Karen National Union, Thein Nyunt, and Khin Maung Swe, co-founders of the National Democratic Force, a splinter group from the NLD. On 3 February 2021, five additional civilian members were added to the Council, including Aye Nu Sein, vice-chair of the Arakan National Party. On 6 February, the Mon Unity Party had announced it had accepted the military's offer to join the Council.
On 8 February 2021, authorities began imposing martial law across several municipalities until further notice. Martial law effectively institutes a nightly curfew from 8 pm to 4 am, bans gathering of more than 5 individuals, public speaking, rallies, and protests. Municipalities covered by martial law include 7 townships in Mandalay, and a township in Ayeyarwady Region. Martial law has since been expanded to include several urban townships in Yangon, Shwebo, Monywa, Sagaing, Kalay in Sagaing Region, Bago, and Pharsong in Kayah State, where significant protests had emerged. Martial law has since been expanded to include 90 townships in 30 cities, including all the townships that comprise Yangon.
According to the AAPP, as of 4 April 2021, 564 protesters have been killed.
On 8 February 2021, police began using rubber bullets, water cannons and tear gas, to disperse protesters at mass rallies. The military leader Min Aung Hlaing ordered a clampdown and suppression of demonstrations as protesters nationwide embarked on a strike. On 9 February two protesters in Naypyidaw were admitted to a local hospital in critical condition, for gunshot wounds. One of these was Mya Thwe Thwe Khine, a twenty year old woman, whose death in a hospital on February 19th, became emblematic for the cause of the protesters.
The intensity of the interventions by authorities increased at the beginning of March, with reports of at least 18 fatalities on 28 February according to reports of Human Rights Groups, and an additional 38 on 3 March, with UN special envoy Christine Schraner Burgener describing the day "as the bloodiest since the coup happened". Warnings of possible further sanctions were reportedly met with indifference.
The violent use of force by military forces in Mya Thwe Thwe Khaing's death on 9 February sparked national outrage, with celebrities and public figures such as Thandar Hlaing criticising her treatment. Nyi Nyi Tun, the chair of the Myanmar Motion Picture Organisation, stated "We cannot witness any more Mya Thwe Thwe Khaings" and urged the public to join the civil disobedience movement. On 11 February, Mya's sister, Mya Thado Nwe, publicly addressed media outlets, and urged the public to "uproot the military dictatorship" for the sake of future generations.
On 9 February, a 36-page draft cybersecurity law was circulated to Myanmar's mobile operators and telecoms licence holders for industry feedback. The draft bill would make internet providers accountable for preventing or removing content that "cause[s] hatred, destroy unity and tranquility." A coalition of 150 civil service organisations publicly denounced the bill for violating the fundamental rights to freedom of expression, data protection, privacy, and other democratic norms in the digital space. They also criticised granting state authorities the ability to ban unfavorable content, restrict ISPs, and intercept data. On 15 February, Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry urged authorities not to rush into enacting the law, noting that the law could negatively impact Myanmar's digital growth and hinder foreign investments.
On 11 February, hundreds of protesters gathered at the Embassy of China in Yangon, based on online rumours that China had brought in telecommunications equipment and IT experts to Myanmar via recent flights. The Chinese embassy published a statement from the China Enterprises Chamber of Commerce in Myanmar which claimed that recent cargo flights had only transported goods like seafood, and denied allegations of helping Myanmar build an internet firewall.
Since the coup on 1 February 2021, authorities have blocked popular news channels, including free-to-air channels like the Democratic Voice of Burma and Mizzima TV, as well as foreign news channels, including CNN from the United States, NHK from Japan, and the BBC from the United Kingdom. On 7 February, the regime also blocked The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist and two wire services, the Associated Press and Reuters. A Myanmar Press Council representative has expressed concern over the future of freedom of the press in the country, the public's right to access information, and the future of Myanmar's nascent news organisations.
Additionally, the military hired Ari Ben-Menashe – a lobbyist who formerly worked for Robert Mugabe, but also other military juntas and presidential candidates in countries including Venezuela, Tunisia and Kyrgyzstan – in an attempt to rebrand itself, claiming that the coup was launched "to prevent the civilian-led government from drifting further into China’s orbit".
To counter the spread of misinformation, in February Facebook issued a blanket ban on all pages relating to Myanmar's military, as well as state media network Myanmar Radio and Television (MRTV). On 5 March, YouTube announced it would remove five military-run YouTube channels and several videos "in accordance with our community guidelines and applicable laws". TikTok announced it had removed content which had received "tens of thousands of views" of uniformed men threatening to harm protesters.
On 28 January, pro-military protesters incited violence, hurling bricks at a police car in Yangon. None of the protesters were arrested and were then transported away from the site by 10 unmarked vehicles. On the evening of 30 January, approximately 500 pro-military protesters incited a riot near Yangon's Shwedagon Pagoda.
On 2 February 2021, some Yangonites staged a brief 15-minute protest rally at 20:00 local time, calling for the overthrow of the dictatorship and Suu Kyi's release. On 4 February 2021, 30 citizens protested against the coup d'état, in front of the University of Medicine in Mandalay, an act that led to four arrests.
On 6 February 2021, the first large-scale protests were organised in Myanmar. The protests have largely been leaderless, organised organically by individuals. 20,000 protestors took part in a street protest in Yangon against the coup d'état, calling for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi. Chants included, "Military dictator, fail, fail; Democracy, win, win". Drivers honked their horns in support. Police cordoned off the protestors at the Insein Road–Hledan junction, preventing them from moving further. Workers from 14 trade unions participated in the protests. Livestreaming of the protests was attempted by mainstream media and citizen journalists but was limited by internet restrictions, estimated to have dropped to 16% by 14:00 local hour. Police water cannon trucks were set up in Hledan and police barricades were prepared in Sule. Protests spread to Mandalay and to the Pyinmana township of Naypyidaw on the afternoon of 6 February 2021. The Mandalay marches started at 13:00 local hour. Protestors continued on motorbikes at 16:00 in reaction to police restrictions. Police were in control by 18:00 local hour.
On 8 February, protests continued to gain traction. In the national capital of Naypyidaw, riot police deployed water cannons on protesters to clear out the roads, becoming the first known use of water cannons since the protests began. In response to growing public pressure, state-run MRTV issued a warning that opposition to the junta was unlawful, and signalled a potential crackdown on protesters. Characterising the protests as "lawless," it stated that "legal action should be taken against acts that harm the stability of the state, public safety, and rule of law." That evening, martial law and a nightly curfew was impose in major cities and towns, including Yangon and Mandalay, effectively banning gatherings of more than 5 people.
Several police officers in cities like Naypyidaw and Magwe have also begun defecting to the pro-democracy camp. On 9 February, Khun Aung Ko Ko, a Naypyidaw police officer, broke rank and joined protesters, becoming the first on-duty police officer to join the pro-democracy camp. Other officers who have tendered resignations have not been allowed to leave the police service. On 10 February, a police troop in Kayah State mutinied, denouncing the coup.
On 20 February 2021, volunteer medics onsite reported two people were killed and 40 others injured in a clash between police and demonstrators in Mandalay. According to witnesses on site the police fired live ammunition to suppress protesters and force workers back to their jobs.
On 2 February 2021, the day after the coup, pro-military protesters and Burmese nationalists rallied in Yangon. On 8 February, a group of pro-military protesters rallied at Sule Pagoda.
On 8 March 2021, approximately 200 protestors were besieged in Sanchaung, Yangon, as stun grenades and live ammunition were used by security forces, prompting calls from the United Nations and British Embassy in Myanmar asking security forces to withdraw. The protestors were able to leave at 6:30AM local time the following morning after security forces left the area.
Earlier that day, the Myanmar military launched airstrikes on a village controlled by the ethnic army and the Karen National Union, which had earlier taken over an army post near the Myanmar–Thailand border, killing ten people including a lieutenant colonel with one of their own fighters killed, and capturing eight soldiers. In an interview, General Yawd Serk of the Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army-South stated, "The Myanmar Armed Forces Day isn't an armed forces day, it's more like the day they killed people", and "If they continue to shoot at protesters and bully the people, I think all the ethnic groups would not just stand by and do nothing."
The European Union delegation to Myanmar has stated, "This 76th Myanmar armed forces day will stay engraved as a day of terror and dishonour", with U.S. Ambassador Thomas Vajda saying that "security forces are murdering unarmed civilians" and calling for "an immediate end to the violence and the restoration of the democratically elected government".
As protests continued nationwide into the month of April, a candlelight vigil was held on 3 April and a protest consisting of Easter eggs with inscribed messages on them took place, despite Easter not being celebrated in largely Buddhist Myanmar. The messages inscribed on the eggs included "Spring Revolution", "We must win" and "Get out MAH" (referring to junta leader Min Aung Hlaing). Also on Easter, the AAPP said that the death toll from the crackdown on protests had risen to 557. In Naypyitaw, two men were killed when police opened fire on protesters in motorbikes while another man was killed earlier in the northern town of Bhamo. The protests also included a "Flower Strike" in which people laid flowers in public places in remembrance of those killed during the demonstrations and a "Silent Strike", in which people across the country left the streets deserted.
On 5 April, peaceful protests continued in various parts of the country. At 5 p.m. local time (10:30 GMT), people clapped for five minutes in the streets to honor the ethnic minority armed groups confronting the junta and to honor protests of the Generation Z "defence youths [...] who are fighting in the revolution... on behalf of us". Meanwhile, in Mandalay, people with placards showing the image of Aung San Suu Kyi took to the streets, to petition for international intervention. In response, the junta shut down wireless broadband services and mobile data services. In Yangon, protesters burned a Chinese flag in alleged response to China's stance before the United Nations Security Council held during a meeting a week prior.
During his remarks on 7 February 2021, Pope Francis urged authorities to serve the common good, promote social justice and national stability, and expressed his solidarity with the people of Myanmar. On 17 March, Pope Francis praised Catholic nun, Sister Ann Rosa Nu Tawng, who knelt before security forces in the city of Myitkyina and dissuaded them not to shoot protesters. Francis again urged for a peace and concluded his speech saying "[E]ven I kneel on the streets of Myanmar and say, 'stop the violence'."
On 16 February 2021, during a parliamentary address, Singaporean foreign minister Vivian Balakrishnan expressed alarm regarding violent clashes at protests, arrests of civil servants, internet blackouts and troop deployments and armoured vehicles in city streets, and urged authorities to exercise "utmost restraint." UK prime minister Boris Johnson condemned the coup, tweeting "We stand with the people of Myanmar and will ensure those responsible for this coup are held to account”, while the US denounced the death of protesters in Myanmar, where the State Department spokesman Ned Price stated that the country condemned the use of force against demonstrators.
The use of deadly force against protesters also drew condemnations from the French foreign ministry and the UN, who described such incidents as unacceptable and urged the military to immediately cease such violence. On 21 February, Facebook also announced the suspension of the military's main page, saying that "the army had breached its standards prohibiting the incitement of violence". On 25 February, all accounts of Tatmadaw and its related media entities were banned from Facebook and Instagram, citing the “exceptionally severe human rights abuses" and a future risk of "military-initiated violence".
On 9 February, reports of injured protesters prompted Ola Almgren, the UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator in Myanmar to issue a statement condemning the authority's violent use of force. On 10 February, Thomas Andrews, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, mentioned her on Twitter and urged solidarity with the protests. On 11 February, UN Women expressed its condolences to Mya's family and called "on the military and police to refrain from using disproportionate force against demonstrators."
On 14 February, UN Secretary General António Guterres issued a statement expressing deep concern about the situation in Myanmar, highlighting "the increasing use of force and the reported deployment of additional armoured vehicles to major cities." He urged Myanmar’s military and police to fully respect the right of peaceful assembly and ensure that demonstrators are not subjected to reprisals. He also called reports of violence, intimidation and harassment by security personnel "unacceptable."
On 4 February, the Federal Reserve blocked the transfer of $1 billion held in the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, after an attempt to transfer the funds in the name of the Central Bank of Myanmar. On 10 February, U.S. President Joe Biden said the United States was "taking steps to prevent the generals from improperly having access to the one billion dollars in Burmese government funds", signing an executive order to freeze assets and sanction military leaders involved in the coup, and stated "as protests grow, violence against those asserting their democratic rights is unacceptable, and we’re going to keep calling it out. The people of Burma are making their voices heard. And the world is watching."
On 5 March, due to protest deaths, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced sanctions and export controls against Myanmar's ministry of defence, ministry of home affairs, and the two state-owned firms Myanmar Economic Corporation and Myanmar Economic Holding Limited, in order "to constrain the Burmese military regime's access to U.S. goods and technology". Blinken called for the "restoration of democracy in Burma."
On 1 April 2021, the British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab condemned the coup again and announced economic sanctions on Burmese conglomerate Myanmar Economic Corporation (MEC) over funding of the military and association with military officials. Raab further stated that the junta had "sunk to a new low with the wanton killing of innocent civilians, including children." Later, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken welcomed the United Kingdom's move.
The Singapore Police Force has issued warnings against foreigners planning to participate in anti-coup protests in Singapore. On 14 February 2021, SPF officers arrested three foreigners for protesting at the outskirts of the Myanmar embassy without permits to participate in a public assembly. The Public Security Police Force of Macau has warned Myanmar residents that they are not allowed to conduct anti-coup protests as Article 27 of the Macau Basic Law only allows Macanese residents the right to do so.
In the United States on 3 February, more than 150 Burmese Americans protested in front of the Embassy of Myanmar in Washington, D.C.. On 6 March 2021, protesters in Tennessee, United States, gathered at the Tennessee State Capitol in Nashville and then engaged in a march to encourage U.S. and Tennessee leaders to impose restrictions on the Burmese military. Protests were held in other cities with sizeable Burmese populations, such as on 27 February in the Dallas suburb of Lewisville.
In Australia on 1 March, some Burmese Australians protested near the Parliament House in Perth to seek justice and urge the Australian government to support the protesters in Myanmar. On 6 March, protesters in Sydney gathered in solidarity with protesters in Myanmar.
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Domestic civil resistance efforts in Myanmar, known locally as the Spring Revolution (Burmese: နွေဦးတော်လှန်ရေး), began in early 2021 in opposition to the coup d'état on 1 February, staged by Min Aung Hlaing, the commander-in-chief of the country's armed forces, the Tatmadaw. As of 4 April 2021[update], at least 564 civilians, including children, have been killed by military or police forces and at least 2,574 people detained.
The 2021 Myanmar coup d'état began on the morning of 1 February 2021 when democratically elected members of Myanmar's ruling party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), were deposed by the Tatmadaw – Myanmar's military – which vested power in a stratocracy, the State Administration Council. The Tatmadaw declared a year-long state of emergency and declared power had been vested in Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Min Aung Hlaing. The coup d'état occurred the day before the Parliament of Myanmar was due to swear in the members elected at the November 2020 general election, thereby preventing this from occurring. President Win Myint and State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi were detained, along with ministers and their deputies and members of Parliament.
Representatives elected in the November 2020 elections have not officially recognised the legitimacy of the coup d'état. On 4 February 2021, around seventy MP-elects from the NLD took an oath of office in Naypyidaw, pledging to abide by the people's mandate, and serve as lawmakers for a five-year term. The following day, 300 elected legislators formed a committee to conduct parliamentary affairs, the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (CRPH). The committee held its first session on Zoom.
On 7 February, the parliamentary committee condemned the military coup as a "criminal act" and dismissed Min Aung Hlaing's military cabinet as being illegitimate. The committee cited the military with violating Chapter 6 of Myanmar's penal code in overthrowing the civilian government. CRPH has advised UN diplomats and the international community to contact the committee to discuss official government business.
On 2 February 2021, healthcare workers and civil servants across the country, including in the national capital, Naypyidaw, launched a national civil disobedience movement (အာဏာဖီဆန်ရေးလှုပ်ရှားမှု), in opposition to the coup d'état. A Facebook campaign group dubbed the "Civil Disobedience Movement" has attracted more than 230,000 followers, since its initial launch on 2 February 2021. Min Ko Naing, an 8888 Uprising leader, has urged the public to adopt a "no recognition, no participation" stance to the military regime. One expert on the government's civil service system estimated that the country had about one million civil servants and that about three-quarters of them had walked off their jobs.
Healthcare workers from dozens of state-run hospitals and institutions initiated a labour strike starting 3 February 2021. As of 3 February 2021, healthcare workers in more than 110 hospitals and healthcare agencies have participated in the movement. Six of the thirteen-member Mandalay City Development Committee, including vice-mayor Ye Mon, resigned on 3 February 2021, in protest against the coup d'état. Labor strike participants have faced intimidation and threats from superiors. By 9 February, COVID vaccination had been suspended, the country's testing system had collapsed and most hospitals in Myanmar had shut down.
The labour strikes have quickly spread to other sectors. Seven teacher organisations, including the 100,000-strong Myanmar Teachers' Federation, have pledged to join the labour strike. Staff in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, formerly led by Aung San Suu Kyi, have also joined the strike. On 4 February 2021, in Naypyidaw, civil servants employed at the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation staged a protest. On 5 February 2021, three hundred copper miners at the Kyisintaung copper mines joined the strike campaign. Miner Sithu Tun stated that the strike would continue until the "elected leaders receive[d] their power back".
By 5 February 2021, the civil service strike included administrative, medical, and educational sector staff and students at "91 government hospitals, 18 universities and colleges and 12 government departments in 79 townships". Nan Nwe, a member of the psychology department at Yangon University stated, "As we teach students to question and understand justice, we can't accept this injustice. Our stand is not political. We only stand up for the justice." Lynn Letyar, a surgeon at Lashio General Hospital, stated that most doctors and nurses had been on strike since 3 February 2021. Staff from Myanmar National Airlines also joined the civil disobedience campaign.
On 8 February, news emerged that state-run newspapers Kyemon and the Global New Light of Myanmar intended to halt publications to protest the coup. On 8 February, all of workers from Myanmar railways participated in the movement and so, the railway transportation is completely stopped. On 8 February, Kanbawza Bank temporarily closed its branches due to staffing shortages resulting from KBZ staff participating in the civil disobedience campaign. Other banks were also impacted by staff participation in the ongoing campaign. On 9 February, staff from the Central Bank of Myanmar joined the movement.
On 5 February, Kirin Company ended its joint venture with the military-owned Myanma Economic Holdings Limited (MEHL). The joint venture, Myanmar Brewery, produces several brands of beer, including Myanmar Beer, and has an 80% market share in the country. Kirin's stake had been valued at US$1.7 billion. On 8 February, Lim Kaling, co-founder of Razer Inc., announced he was divesting his stake in a joint venture with a Singaporean tobacco company that owns a 49% stake in Virginia Tobacco, a local tobacco manufacturer that is majority-owned by MEHL. Virginia Tobacco produces two popular local cigarette brands, Red Ruby and Premium Gold.
Since the onset of the coup d'état, residents in urban centers such as Yangon have staged cacerolazos, striking pots and pans in unison every evening as a symbolic act to drive away evil, as a method of expressing their opposition to the coup d'état. On 5 February 2021, thirty people in Mandalay were charged under section 47 of the Police Act for banging pots and kitchenware.
On 3 February 2021, healthcare workers in Myanmar launched the red ribbon campaign (ဖဲကြိုးနီလှုပ်ရှားမှု). The color red is associated with the National League for Democracy (NLD), the incumbent political party that won the 2020 elections. Ni Ni Khin Zaw, a popular Burmese singer and medical school graduate, publicly endorsed the campaign. Civil servants and workers across Myanmar, including union-level ministries, have adopted the red ribbon as a symbol of opposition to the military regime. On 5 February 2021, copper miners at Kyinsintaung mines unable to join the labour strike joined the red ribbon campaign. On 6 February 2021, factory garment workers in Thaketa Industrial Zone joined the red ribbon campaign.
Burmese celebrities and politicians, including Paing Takhon and Daung, have publicly supported civil resistance efforts, posing with the three-finger salute in social media posts. Celebrities and social media influencers, such Sai Sai Kham Leng and Nay Chi Oo, who were silent or were slow to support the ongoing popular protests lost sizeable online followings. On 7 February, Nay Soe Maung, son-in-law of Myanmar's former dictator Than Shwe, posted a Facebook photo demonstrating support for the protests.
On 4 February 2021, telecom operators and internet service providers across Myanmar were ordered to block Facebook until 7 February 2021, to ensure the "country's stability". Myanma Posts and Telecommunications (MPT), a state-owned carrier, also blocked Facebook Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp services, while Telenor Myanmar blocked only Facebook. Facebook had been used to organise the civil disobedience campaign's labour strikes and the emerging boycott movement. Facebook is used by half of Myanmar's population. Following the Facebook ban, Burmese users had begun flocking to Twitter. The following day, the government extended the social media access ban to include Instagram and Twitter.
Following the Facebook ban, demand for VPN services surged in the country. According to a UK-based digital privacy and security research group, demand for VPN surged by more than 7000%. The free to use proxy service Psiphon, used to circumvent censorship, which has seen its user base surge from 5,000 daily users before the 1 February coup d'état to more than 1.6 million users with an average of 14 million daily connections as of 15 February 2021.
On the morning of 6 February 2021, the military authorities initiated an internet outage nationwide. That same day, Facebook urged authorities to unblock social media services. Facebook also removed the Burmese government's ability to submit content removal requests. Internet access was partially restored the following day, although social media platforms remained blocked. On 14 February 2021, Telenor announced it was no longer permitted to publicly disclose the directives received from military authorities on internet disruptions. Starting on 15 February 2021, the military authorities initiated an internet outage nationwide again from 1:00 to 9:00 a.m. daily but they didn't give any reasons why they cut out.
Law enforcement authorities have acted swiftly in quelling opposition to the coup. As of 7 February 2021, 152 people were under detention in relation to the coup d'état.
The military regime has begun initiating criminal proceedings against detainees. On 3 February 2021, Thawbita, a Buddhist monk was sentenced to two years in prison under Section 66(d) of the Telecommunications Law, for defamation of the military. On 4 February 2021, three university students, Zu Zu Zan, Aung Myo Ko, and Htoo Khant Thaw, were charged under Section 19 of the Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession Law for protesting in Mandalay. On 5 February 2021, Maung Gyi, the chair of the United Nationalities Democratic Party, was arrested, charged and sentenced to two years under Penal Code Section 505(b) for staging a protest in Hpa-an Township, Kayin State. Cho Yu Mon, a school principal, was also arrested and charged under Penal Code Section 505(b) for taking part in a "red ribbon" campaign at her school in Hpa-an. NLD leader Win Htein was charged under Section 124(a) of Myanmar's legal code for sedition.
On 8 February 2021, authorities re-arrested Nang Khin Htwe Myint, Kayin State's chief minister, and Myint Naing, Sagaing Region's chief minister. Nang Khin Htwe Myint had published remarks online urging solidarity between soldiers and the people, pointing out that the army was funded by taxes and state funds, while Myint Naing had posted a speech calling on the public to continue protesting. On 9 February, at least a hundred demonstrators were arrested in Mandalay, including mayor Ye Lwin.
On 17 February 2021, authorities issued arrest warrants for several celebrities, namely Lu Min, Pyay Ti Oo, Ko Pauk, Na Gyi, Anegga, and Wyne, for encouraging civil servants to join the ongoing civil disobedience movement. More than 1,700 people had been arrested as of 4 March.
The military has made overtures to competing political parties in the aftermath of the coup d'état. On 2 February 2021, it formed the State Administration Council, as Myanmar's interim governing body. The Council's membership included several civilian politicians, including Mahn Nyein Maung, a former member of the Karen National Union, Thein Nyunt, and Khin Maung Swe, co-founders of the National Democratic Force, a splinter group from the NLD. On 3 February 2021, five additional civilian members were added to the Council, including Aye Nu Sein, vice-chair of the Arakan National Party. On 6 February, the Mon Unity Party had announced it had accepted the military's offer to join the Council.
On 8 February 2021, authorities began imposing martial law across several municipalities until further notice. Martial law effectively institutes a nightly curfew from 8:00 pm to 4:00 am, bans gathering of more than five individuals, public speaking, rallies, and protests. Municipalities covered by martial law include seven townships in Mandalay, and a township in Ayeyarwady Region. Martial law has since been expanded to include several urban townships in Yangon, Shwebo, Monywa, Sagaing, Kalay in Sagaing Region, Bago, and Pharsong in Kayah State, where significant protests had emerged. Martial law has since been expanded to include ninety townships in thirty cities, including all the townships that comprise Yangon.
According to the AAPP, as of 4 April 2021, 564 protesters have been killed.
On 8 February 2021, police began using rubber bullets, water cannons and tear gas, to disperse protesters at mass rallies. The military leader Min Aung Hlaing ordered a clampdown and suppression of demonstrations as protesters nationwide embarked on a strike. On 9 February two protesters in Naypyidaw were admitted to a local hospital in critical condition, for gunshot wounds. One of these was Mya Thwe Thwe Khine, a twenty year old woman, whose death in a hospital on February 19th, became emblematic for the cause of the protesters.
The intensity of the interventions by authorities increased at the beginning of March, with reports of at least 18 fatalities on 28 February according to reports of Human Rights Groups, and an additional 38 on 3 March, with UN special envoy Christine Schraner Burgener describing the day "as the bloodiest since the coup happened". Warnings of possible further sanctions were reportedly met with indifference.
The violent use of force by military forces in Mya Thwe Thwe Khaing's death on 9 February sparked national outrage, with celebrities and public figures such as Thandar Hlaing criticising her treatment. Nyi Nyi Tun, the chair of the Myanmar Motion Picture Organisation, stated "We cannot witness any more Mya Thwe Thwe Khaings" and urged the public to join the civil disobedience movement. On 11 February, Mya's sister, Mya Thado Nwe, publicly addressed media outlets, and urged the public to "uproot the military dictatorship" for the sake of future generations.
On 9 February, a 36-page draft cybersecurity law was circulated to Myanmar's mobile operators and telecoms licence holders for industry feedback. The draft bill would make internet providers accountable for preventing or removing content that "cause[s] hatred, destroy unity and tranquility". A coalition of 150 civil service organisations publicly denounced the bill for violating the fundamental rights to freedom of expression, data protection, privacy, and other democratic norms in the digital space. They also criticised granting state authorities the ability to ban unfavorable content, restrict ISPs, and intercept data. On 15 February, Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry urged authorities not to rush into enacting the law, noting that the law could negatively impact Myanmar's digital growth and hinder foreign investments.
On 11 February, hundreds of protesters gathered at the Embassy of China in Yangon, based on online rumours that China had brought in telecommunications equipment and IT experts to Myanmar via recent flights. The Chinese embassy published a statement from the China Enterprises Chamber of Commerce in Myanmar which claimed that recent cargo flights had transported only goods like seafood, and denied allegations of helping Myanmar build an internet firewall.
Since the coup on 1 February 2021, authorities have blocked popular news channels, including free-to-air channels like the Democratic Voice of Burma and Mizzima TV, as well as foreign news channels, including CNN from the United States, NHK from Japan, and the BBC from the United Kingdom. On 7 February, the regime also blocked The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist and two wire services, the Associated Press and Reuters. A Myanmar Press Council representative has expressed concern over the future of freedom of the press in the country, the public's right to access information, and the future of Myanmar's nascent news organisations.
Additionally, the military hired Ari Ben-Menashe – a lobbyist who formerly worked for Robert Mugabe, but also other military juntas and presidential candidates in countries including Venezuela, Tunisia and Kyrgyzstan – in an attempt to rebrand itself, claiming that the coup was launched "to prevent the civilian-led government from drifting further into China's orbit".
To counter the spread of misinformation, in February Facebook issued a blanket ban on all pages relating to Myanmar's military, as well as state media network Myanmar Radio and Television (MRTV). On 5 March, YouTube announced it would remove five military-run YouTube channels and several videos "in accordance with our community guidelines and applicable laws". TikTok announced it had removed content which had received "tens of thousands of views" of uniformed men threatening to harm protesters.
On 28 January, pro-military protesters incited violence, hurling bricks at a police car in Yangon. None of the protesters were arrested and were then transported away from the site by ten unmarked vehicles. On the evening of 30 January, approximately 500 pro-military protesters incited a riot near Yangon's Shwedagon Pagoda.
On 2 February 2021, some Yangonites staged a brief 15-minute protest rally at 20:00 local time, calling for the overthrow of the dictatorship and Suu Kyi's release. On 4 February 2021, thirty citizens protested against the coup d'état, in front of the University of Medicine in Mandalay, an act that led to four arrests.
On 6 February 2021, the first large-scale protests were organised in Myanmar. The protests have largely been leaderless, organised organically by individuals. 20,000 protestors took part in a street protest in Yangon against the coup d'état, calling for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi. Chants included "military dictator, fail, fail; democracy, win, win". Drivers honked their horns in support. Police cordoned off the protestors at the Insein Road–Hledan junction, preventing them from moving further. Workers from 14 trade unions participated in the protests. Livestreaming of the protests was attempted by mainstream media and citizen journalists but was limited by internet restrictions, estimated to have dropped to 16% by 14:00 local hour. Police water cannon trucks were set up in Hledan and police barricades were prepared in Sule. Protests spread to Mandalay and to the Pyinmana township of Naypyidaw on the afternoon of 6 February 2021. The Mandalay marches started at 13:00 local hour. Protestors continued on motorbikes at 16:00 in reaction to police restrictions. Police were in control by 18:00 local hour.
On 8 February, protests continued to gain traction. In the national capital of Naypyidaw, riot police deployed water cannons on protesters to clear out the roads, becoming the first known use of water cannons since the protests began. In response to growing public pressure, state-run MRTV issued a warning that opposition to the junta was unlawful, and signalled a potential crackdown on protesters. Characterising the protests as "lawless", it stated that "legal action should be taken against acts that harm the stability of the state, public safety, and rule of law." That evening, martial law and a nightly curfew was impose in major cities and towns, including Yangon and Mandalay, effectively banning gatherings of more than five people.
Several police officers in cities like Naypyidaw and Magwe have also begun defecting to the pro-democracy camp. On 9 February, Khun Aung Ko Ko, a Naypyidaw police officer, broke rank and joined protesters, becoming the first on-duty police officer to join the pro-democracy camp. Other officers who have tendered resignations have not been allowed to leave the police service. On 10 February, a police troop in Kayah State mutinied, denouncing the coup.
On 20 February 2021, volunteer medics onsite reported two people were killed and forty injured in a clash between police and demonstrators in Mandalay. According to witnesses on site the police fired live ammunition to suppress protesters and force workers back to their jobs.
On 2 February 2021, the day after the coup, pro-military protesters and Burmese nationalists rallied in Yangon. On 8 February, a group of pro-military protesters rallied at Sule Pagoda.
On 8 March 2021, approximately two hundred protestors were besieged in Sanchaung, Yangon, as stun grenades and live ammunition were used by security forces, prompting calls from the United Nations and British Embassy in Myanmar asking security forces to withdraw. The protestors were able to leave at 6:30AM local time the following morning after security forces left the area.
Earlier that day, the Myanmar military launched airstrikes on a village controlled by the ethnic army and the Karen National Union, which had earlier taken over an army post near the Myanmar–Thailand border, killing ten people including a lieutenant colonel with one of their own fighters killed, and capturing eight soldiers. In an interview, General Yawd Serk of the Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army-South stated, "The Myanmar Armed Forces Day isn't an armed forces day, it's more like the day they killed people [and] if they continue to shoot at protesters and bully the people, I think all the ethnic groups would not just stand by and do nothing."
The European Union delegation to Myanmar has stated, "This 76th Myanmar armed forces day will stay engraved as a day of terror and dishonour," with U.S. Ambassador Thomas Vajda saying that "security forces are murdering unarmed civilians [and calling for] an immediate end to the violence and the restoration of the democratically elected government."
As protests continued nationwide into the month of April, a candlelight vigil was held on 3 April and a protest consisting of Easter eggs with inscribed messages on them took place, despite Easter not being celebrated in largely Buddhist Myanmar. The messages inscribed on the eggs included "Spring Revolution", "We must win" and "Get out MAH" (referring to junta leader Min Aung Hlaing). Also on Easter, the AAPP said that the death toll from the crackdown on protests had risen to 557. In Naypyitaw, two men were killed when police opened fire on protesters in motorbikes while another man was killed earlier in the northern town of Bhamo. The protests also included a "Flower Strike" in which people laid flowers in public places in remembrance of those killed during the demonstrations and a "Silent Strike", in which people across the country left the streets deserted.
On 5 April, peaceful protests continued in various parts of the country. At 5:00 p.m. local time (10:30 GMT), people clapped for five minutes in the streets to honor the ethnic minority armed groups confronting the junta and to honor protests of the Generation Z "defence youths [...] who are fighting in the revolution ... on behalf of us." Meanwhile, in Mandalay, people with placards showing the image of Aung San Suu Kyi took to the streets, to petition for international intervention. In response, the junta shut down wireless broadband services and mobile data services. In Yangon, protesters burned a Chinese flag in alleged response to China's stance before the United Nations Security Council held during a meeting a week prior.
During his remarks on 7 February 2021, Pope Francis urged authorities to serve the common good, promote social justice and national stability, and expressed his solidarity with the people of Myanmar. On 17 March, Pope Francis praised Catholic nun, Sister Ann Rosa Nu Tawng, who knelt before security forces in the city of Myitkyina and dissuaded them not to shoot protesters. Francis again urged for a peace and concluded his speech saying "[E]ven I kneel on the streets of Myanmar and say, 'stop the violence.'"
On 16 February 2021, during a parliamentary address, Singaporean foreign minister Vivian Balakrishnan expressed alarm regarding violent clashes at protests, arrests of civil servants, internet blackouts and troop deployments and armoured vehicles in city streets, and urged authorities to exercise "utmost restraint". UK prime minister Boris Johnson condemned the coup, tweeting "We stand with the people of Myanmar and will ensure those responsible for this coup are held to account," while the US denounced the death of protesters in Myanmar, where the State Department spokesman Ned Price stated that the country condemned the use of force against demonstrators.
The use of deadly force against protesters also drew condemnations from the French foreign ministry and the UN, who described such incidents as unacceptable and urged the military to immediately cease such violence. On 21 February, Facebook also announced the suspension of the military's main page, saying that "the army had breached its standards prohibiting the incitement of violence." On 25 February, all accounts of Tatmadaw and its related media entities were banned from Facebook and Instagram, citing the “exceptionally severe human rights abuses" and a future risk of "military-initiated violence".
On 9 February, reports of injured protesters prompted Ola Almgren, the UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator in Myanmar to issue a statement condemning the authority's violent use of force. On 10 February, Thomas Andrews, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, mentioned her on Twitter and urged solidarity with the protests. On 11 February, UN Women expressed its condolences to Mya's family and called "on the military and police to refrain from using disproportionate force against demonstrators".
On 14 February, UN Secretary General António Guterres issued a statement expressing deep concern about the situation in Myanmar, highlighting "the increasing use of force and the reported deployment of additional armoured vehicles to major cities". He urged Myanmar’s military and police to fully respect the right of peaceful assembly and ensure that demonstrators are not subjected to reprisals. He also called reports of violence, intimidation and harassment by security personnel "unacceptable".
On 4 February, the Federal Reserve blocked the transfer of $1 billion held in the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, after an attempt to transfer the funds in the name of the Central Bank of Myanmar. On 10 February, U.S. President Joe Biden said the United States was "taking steps to prevent the generals from improperly having access to the one billion dollars in Burmese government funds", signing an executive order to freeze assets and sanction military leaders involved in the coup, and stated "as protests grow, violence against those asserting their democratic rights is unacceptable, and we’re going to keep calling it out. The people of Burma are making their voices heard. And the world is watching."
On 5 March, due to protest deaths, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced sanctions and export controls against Myanmar's ministry of defence, ministry of home affairs, and the two state-owned firms Myanmar Economic Corporation and Myanmar Economic Holding Limited, in order "to constrain the Burmese military regime's access to U.S. goods and technology". Blinken called for the "restoration of democracy in Burma".
On 1 April 2021, the British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab condemned the coup again and announced economic sanctions on Burmese conglomerate Myanmar Economic Corporation (MEC) over funding of the military and association with military officials. Raab further stated that the junta had "sunk to a new low with the wanton killing of innocent civilians, including children". Later, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken welcomed the United Kingdom's move.
The Singapore Police Force has issued warnings against foreigners planning to participate in anti-coup protests in Singapore. On 14 February 2021, SPF officers arrested three foreigners for protesting at the outskirts of the Myanmar embassy without permits to participate in a public assembly. The Public Security Police Force of Macau has warned Myanmar residents that they are not allowed to conduct anti-coup protests as Article 27 of the Macau Basic Law allows only Macanese residents the right to do so.
In the United States on 3 February, more than 150 Burmese Americans protested in front of the Embassy of Myanmar in Washington, D.C.. On 6 March 2021, protesters in Tennessee, United States, gathered at the Tennessee State Capitol in Nashville and then engaged in a march to encourage U.S. and Tennessee leaders to impose restrictions on the Burmese military. Protests were held in other cities with sizeable Burmese populations, such as on 27 February in the Dallas suburb of Lewisville.
In Australia on 1 March, some Burmese Australians protested near the Parliament House in Perth to seek justice and urge the Australian government to support the protesters in Myanmar. On 6 March, protesters in Sydney gathered in solidarity with protesters in Myanmar.
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On 7 April, troops opened fire on protesters in Kale, killing five civilians. Two other protesters were killed in Bago, near Yangon, according to the outlet Myanmar Now. Separately, in Yangon, a Chinese-owned factory caught fire, allegedly set ablaze by protesters who also burned a Chinese flag, in repeated anti-Chinese arson attacks in the country. Foreign officials in the country also reported that the junta is "losing control" of the situation while the military accused the protesters of halting operations in hospitals, schools, roads, offices and factories.
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On 7 April, troops opened fire on protesters in Kale, killing five civilians. Two other protesters were killed in Bago, near Yangon, according to the outlet Myanmar Now. Separately, in Yangon, a Chinese-owned factory caught fire, allegedly set ablaze by protesters who also burned a Chinese flag, in repeated anti-Chinese arson attacks in the country. Foreign officials in the country also reported that the junta is "losing control" of the situation while the military accused the protesters of halting operations in hospitals, schools, roads, offices and factories.
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On 7 April, troops opened fire on protesters in Kale, killing five civilians. Two other protesters were killed in Bago, near Yangon, according to the outlet Myanmar Now. Separately, in Yangon, a Chinese-owned factory caught fire, allegedly set ablaze by protesters who also burned a Chinese flag, in repeated anti-Chinese arson attacks in the country. Foreign officials in the country also reported that the junta is "losing control" of the situation while the military accused the protesters of halting operations in hospitals, schools, roads, offices and factories. By the end of the day, the death toll had risen to 13, while several small explosions were heard in Yangon, including at government buildings, a military hospital and a shopping mall.
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Domestic civil resistance efforts in Myanmar, known locally as the Spring Revolution (Burmese: နွေဦးတော်လှန်ရေး), began in early 2021 in opposition to the coup d'état on 1 February, staged by Min Aung Hlaing, the commander-in-chief of the country's armed forces, the Tatmadaw. As of 4 April 2021[update], at least 564 civilians, including children, have been killed by military or police forces and at least 2,574 people detained.
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Domestic civil resistance efforts in Myanmar, known locally as the Spring Revolution (Burmese: နွေဦးတော်လှန်ရေး), began in early 2021 in opposition to the coup d'état on 1 February, staged by Min Aung Hlaing, the commander-in-chief of the country's armed forces, the Tatmadaw. As of 4 April 2021[update], at least 564 civilians of which at least 44 were children, have been killed by military or police forces and at least 2,574 people detained.
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According to the AAPP, as of 4 April 2021, 564 protesters have been killed.
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According to the AAPP, as of 4 April 2021, 564 protesters have been killed. The junta's indiscriminate use of force has resulted in the deaths of at least 44 children, including a 7 year old girl who was shot in her home and reports of hundreds of children and young people detained.
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In the lead-up to the coup, pro-military protesters had begun rallying in an attempt to de-legitimise the results of the 2020 elections. Wai Wai Nu of the Women's Peace Network noted the potential for violent attacks on pro-democracy protesters by pro-military protesters. On 30 December, approximately 400 pro-military protesters and nationalists demonstrated in front of Yangon City Hall, in violation of COVID-19 guidelines. On 14 January, about a thousand protesters gathered in Mandalay's Pyawbwe Township to dispute election results, waving military flags.
On 28 January, pro-military protesters incited violence, hurling bricks at a police car in Yangon. None of the protesters were arrested and were then transported away from the site by ten unmarked vehicles. On the evening of 30 January, approximately 500 pro-military protesters incited a riot near Yangon's Shwedagon Pagoda.
On 2 February 2021, some Yangonites staged a brief 15-minute protest rally at 20:00 local time, calling for the overthrow of the dictatorship and Suu Kyi's release. On 4 February 2021, thirty citizens protested against the coup d'état, in front of the University of Medicine in Mandalay, an act that led to four arrests.
On 6 February 2021, the first large-scale protests were organised in Myanmar. The protests have largely been leaderless, organised organically by individuals. 20,000 protestors took part in a street protest in Yangon against the coup d'état, calling for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi. Chants included "military dictator, fail, fail; democracy, win, win". Drivers honked their horns in support. Police cordoned off the protestors at the Insein Road–Hledan junction, preventing them from moving further. Workers from 14 trade unions participated in the protests. Livestreaming of the protests was attempted by mainstream media and citizen journalists but was limited by internet restrictions, estimated to have dropped to 16% by 14:00 local hour. Police water cannon trucks were set up in Hledan and police barricades were prepared in Sule. Protests spread to Mandalay and to the Pyinmana township of Naypyidaw on the afternoon of 6 February 2021. The Mandalay marches started at 13:00 local hour. Protestors continued on motorbikes at 16:00 in reaction to police restrictions. Police were in control by 18:00 local hour.
On 7 February 2021, public protests had grown in size and spread to other cities across the country. The largest protests in Yangon attracted at least 150,000 protesters, gathering at the Hledan junction and around Sule Pagoda in Downtown Yangon. Protesters have demanded the immediate release of Suu Kyi and Win Myint, chanting the slogan "our cause" (ဒို့အရေး), and calling for the fall of the dictatorship. Public protests were also organised across Upper Myanmar, including the cities of Naypyidaw, Mandalay, Bagan, Hpakhant, Lashio, Magwe, Mogok, and Pyin Oo Lwin, Taunggyi as well as Lower Myanmar, including the cities of Mawlamyaing, Dawei, Pathein, and Myaungmya, and Myawaddy.
On 8 February, protests continued to gain traction. In the national capital of Naypyidaw, riot police deployed water cannons on protesters to clear out the roads, becoming the first known use of water cannons since the protests began. In response to growing public pressure, state-run MRTV issued a warning that opposition to the junta was unlawful, and signalled a potential crackdown on protesters. Characterising the protests as "lawless", it stated that "legal action should be taken against acts that harm the stability of the state, public safety, and rule of law." That evening, martial law and a nightly curfew was impose in major cities and towns, including Yangon and Mandalay, effectively banning gatherings of more than five people.
On 9 February, protesters defied martial law, and continued to organise larger public protests across the country. Police began a crackdown of protests, firing live and rubber bullets, and using water cannons to disperse the crowds. Serious injuries prompted the United Nations office in Myanmar to issue a statement calling the use of disproportionate force against demonstrators unacceptable.
Several police officers in cities like Naypyidaw and Magwe have also begun defecting to the pro-democracy camp. On 9 February, Khun Aung Ko Ko, a Naypyidaw police officer, broke rank and joined protesters, becoming the first on-duty police officer to join the pro-democracy camp. Other officers who have tendered resignations have not been allowed to leave the police service. On 10 February, a police troop in Kayah State mutinied, denouncing the coup.
On 12 February 2021, The Union Day in Myanmar, junta's crackdown became intense and turns into violence, shots were fired and several people were arrested in Mawlamyine.
On 14 February 2021, hundreds had gathered at a power plant in Myitkyina that had become occupied by the military. Riot police and soldiers dispersed the crowds by firing shots and a water cannon. On 15 February, soldiers and police in Mandalay fired steel balls and slingshots at protesters who had gathered at the Myanma Economic Bank, urging bank employees to join the Civil Disobedience Movement. At least three protesters were injured.
On 15 February 2021, 100,000 protesters in Minbu, representing a diverse coalition of Hindus, Muslims, oilfield workers, and civil servants, gathered to protest the coup and demand the release of elected politicians.
On 20 February 2021, volunteer medics onsite reported two people were killed and forty injured in a clash between police and demonstrators in Mandalay. According to witnesses on site the police fired live ammunition to suppress protesters and force workers back to their jobs.
On 2 February 2021, the day after the coup, pro-military protesters and Burmese nationalists rallied in Yangon. On 8 February, a group of pro-military protesters rallied at Sule Pagoda.
On 9 February, a group of pro-military instigators arrived at a protest site in Yangon in 15 unmarked vehicles, seeking to provoke violence. Many brandished large wooden clubs, and were otherwise indistinguishable from pro-democracy protesters.
On 25 February, pro-military supporters marched through central Yangon. When they arrived at Sule Pagoda Road, where blockades were set up by the police force against peaceful protests, the police however removed the blockades and let them in. Afterwards some of pro-military protesters gathered at Yangon railway station and started marching. Civilians responded by banging pots and pans and crossing their wrists as symbols of resistance. Tensions arose when the pro-military supporters openly attacked bystanders, residents and anti-coup protestors using sharp objects, knives, heavy sticks and slingshots, wounding four people seriously in the head and the other eight in other parts of the body. Attacks were also directed against members of the press and cars.
On 8 March 2021, approximately two hundred protestors were besieged in Sanchaung, Yangon, as stun grenades and live ammunition were used by security forces, prompting calls from the United Nations and British Embassy in Myanmar asking security forces to withdraw. The protestors were able to leave at 6:30AM local time the following morning after security forces left the area.
On 27 March 2021, the annual Armed Forces Day holiday, at least 107 were reported to have killed, with news outlet Myanmar Now reporting 114 deaths, the highest death toll of any individual day. The event was seen as a reason for protestors to mobilise in opposition to security forces in Yangon and elsewhere in Myanmar, where these protests were then quelled by soldiers and police. The U.S. Embassy in Myanmar reported that shots were fired at its cultural center in Yangon, but no one was injured.
Earlier that day, the Myanmar military launched airstrikes on a village controlled by the ethnic army and the Karen National Union, which had earlier taken over an army post near the Myanmar–Thailand border, killing ten people including a lieutenant colonel with one of their own fighters killed, and capturing eight soldiers. In an interview, General Yawd Serk of the Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army-South stated, "The Myanmar Armed Forces Day isn't an armed forces day, it's more like the day they killed people [and] if they continue to shoot at protesters and bully the people, I think all the ethnic groups would not just stand by and do nothing."
The European Union delegation to Myanmar has stated, "This 76th Myanmar armed forces day will stay engraved as a day of terror and dishonour," with U.S. Ambassador Thomas Vajda saying that "security forces are murdering unarmed civilians [and calling for] an immediate end to the violence and the restoration of the democratically elected government."
As protests continued nationwide into the month of April, a candlelight vigil was held on 3 April and a protest consisting of Easter eggs with inscribed messages on them took place, despite Easter not being celebrated in largely Buddhist Myanmar. The messages inscribed on the eggs included "Spring Revolution", "We must win" and "Get out MAH" (referring to junta leader Min Aung Hlaing). Also on Easter, the AAPP said that the death toll from the crackdown on protests had risen to 557. In Naypyitaw, two men were killed when police opened fire on protesters in motorbikes while another man was killed earlier in the northern town of Bhamo. The protests also included a "Flower Strike" in which people laid flowers in public places in remembrance of those killed during the demonstrations and a "Silent Strike", in which people across the country left the streets deserted.
On 5 April, peaceful protests continued in various parts of the country. At 5:00 p.m. local time (10:30 GMT), people clapped for five minutes in the streets to honor the ethnic minority armed groups confronting the junta and to honor protests of the Generation Z "defence youths [...] who are fighting in the revolution ... on behalf of us." Meanwhile, in Mandalay, people with placards showing the image of Aung San Suu Kyi took to the streets, to petition for international intervention. In response, the junta shut down wireless broadband services and mobile data services. In Yangon, protesters burned a Chinese flag in alleged response to China's stance before the United Nations Security Council held during a meeting a week prior.
On 7 April, troops opened fire on protesters in Kale, killing five civilians. Two other protesters were killed in Bago, near Yangon, according to the outlet Myanmar Now. Separately, in Yangon, a Chinese-owned factory caught fire, allegedly set ablaze by protesters who also burned a Chinese flag, in repeated anti-Chinese arson attacks in the country. Foreign officials in the country also reported that the junta is "losing control" of the situation while the military accused the protesters of halting operations in hospitals, schools, roads, offices and factories. By the end of the day, the death toll had risen to 13, while several small explosions were heard in Yangon, including at government buildings, a military hospital and a shopping mall.
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In the lead-up to the coup, pro-military protesters had begun rallying in an attempt to de-legitimise the results of the 2020 elections. On February 2 the first protest was made against the coup and the four arrests were made on February 4 when thirty citizens protested against the coup d'état, in front of the University of Medicine in Mandalay.
Within a week public protests had grown in size and spread to other cities across the country. The largest protests in Yangon attracted at least 150,000 protesters, gathering at the Hledan junction and around Sule Pagoda in Downtown Yangon. Protesters defied martial law, and continued to organise larger public protests across the country. Police began a crackdown of protests, firing live and rubber bullets, and using water cannons to disperse the crowds causing serious injuries in some cases. Conversely some rallies were held in support of the State Administration Council.
By mid February there were reports of fatalities among civilians, notably the death of Mya Thwe Thwe Khine at a hospital, ten days after having been shot in the head. On 8 March 2021, approximately two hundred protestors were besieged in Sanchaung, Yangon, as stun grenades and live ammunition were used by security forces, prompting calls from the United Nations and British Embassy in Myanmar asking security forces to withdraw.
The most violent day of the protests came on March 27, the annual Armed Forces Day holiday, at least 107 were reported to have killed the highest death toll of any individual day.
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| 1016631892 |
2021-04-08T07:09:58Z |
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United Kingdom |
On 1 April 2021, the British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab condemned the coup again and announced economic sanctions on Burmese conglomerate Myanmar Economic Corporation (MEC) over funding of the military and association with military officials. Raab further stated that the junta had "sunk to a new low with the wanton killing of innocent civilians, including children". Later, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken welcomed the United Kingdom's move.
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On 1 April 2021, the British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab condemned the coup again and announced economic sanctions on Burmese conglomerate Myanmar Economic Corporation (MEC) over funding of the military and association with military officials. Raab further stated that the junta had "sunk to a new low with the wanton killing of innocent civilians, including children". Later, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken welcomed the United Kingdom's move. On 7 April, Myanmar's ambassador to the United Kingdom was locked out of the London embassy after criticizing Myanmar's ruling authorities.
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United Kingdom |
On 1 April 2021, the British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab condemned the coup again and announced economic sanctions on Burmese conglomerate Myanmar Economic Corporation (MEC) over funding of the military and association with military officials. Raab further stated that the junta had "sunk to a new low with the wanton killing of innocent civilians, including children". Later, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken welcomed the United Kingdom's move. On 7 April, Myanmar's ambassador to the United Kingdom was locked out of the London embassy after criticizing Myanmar's ruling authorities.
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On 1 April 2021, the British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab condemned the coup again and announced economic sanctions on Burmese conglomerate Myanmar Economic Corporation (MEC) over funding of the military and association with military officials. Raab further stated that the junta had "sunk to a new low with the wanton killing of innocent civilians, including children". Later, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken welcomed the United Kingdom's move. On 7 April, Myanmar's ambassador to the United Kingdom Kyaw Zwar Minn was locked out of the London embassy after criticizing Myanmar's ruling authorities.
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2021-04-08T10:17:53Z |
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Protests |
The most violent day of the protests came on March 27, the annual Armed Forces Day holiday, at least 107 were reported to have killed the highest death toll of any individual day.
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The most violent day of the protests came on March 27, the annual Armed Forces Day holiday, at least 107 were reported to have killed the highest death toll of any individual day.
The first day of openly armed resistance against the coup came on 8 April when protesters fought back against soldiers with hunting rifles and firebombs in the town of Taze. The resistance was quickly controlled by troops reinforcements and resulted in 11 protesters deaths. The same day, the country surpassed 600 deaths related to anti-coup protests since February 1.
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Arrest of journalists and TV personalities |
On 6 April 2021, military authorities issued arrest warrants against dozens of celebrities, models and influencers, and a popular comedian was arrested in Yangon, according to Mizzima News. One of the wanted journalists is Sithu Aung Myint, who wrote from his Facebook page that "he was proud" to be on the wanted list.
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On 6 April 2021, military authorities issued arrest warrants against dozens of celebrities, models and influencers, and a popular comedian was arrested in Yangon, according to Mizzima News. One of the wanted journalists is Sithu Aung Myint, who wrote from his Facebook page that "he was proud" to be on the wanted list. On 8 April, troops arrested popular actor, model and singer Paing Takhon, along with his sister, for openly opposing the military government and expressing support for the protesters. The 24-year-old Takhon and his sister were arrested at their home in Yangon after eight military trucks arrived to their residence. The arrests were conducted without resistence, according to Takhon's mother, due to Takhon being in poor health. Other 120 celebrities were also arrested.
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2021-04-08T12:09:33Z |
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Protests |
In the lead-up to the coup, pro-military protesters had begun rallying in an attempt to de-legitimise the results of the 2020 elections. On February 2 the first protest was made against the coup and the four arrests were made on February 4 when thirty citizens protested against the coup d'état, in front of the University of Medicine in Mandalay.
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In the lead-up to the coup, pro-military protesters had begun rallying in an attempt to de-legitimise the results of the 2020 elections. On February 2 the first protest was made against the coup and four arrests were made on February 4 when thirty citizens protested against the coup d'état, in front of the University of Medicine in Mandalay.
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2021-04-09T04:54:54Z |
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On 6 April 2021, military authorities issued arrest warrants against dozens of celebrities, models and influencers, and a popular comedian was arrested in Yangon, according to Mizzima News. One of the wanted journalists is Sithu Aung Myint, who wrote from his Facebook page that "he was proud" to be on the wanted list. On 8 April, troops arrested popular actor, model and singer Paing Takhon, along with his sister, for openly opposing the military government and expressing support for the protesters. The 24-year-old Takhon and his sister were arrested at their home in Yangon after eight military trucks arrived to their residence. The arrests were conducted without resistence, according to Takhon's mother, due to Takhon being in poor health. Other 120 celebrities were also arrested.
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On 6 April 2021, military authorities issued arrest warrants against dozens of celebrities, models and influencers, and a popular comedian was arrested in Yangon, according to Mizzima News. One of the wanted journalists is Sithu Aung Myint, who wrote from his Facebook page that "he was proud" to be on the wanted list. On 8 April, troops arrested popular actor, model and singer Paing Takhon, along with his sister, for openly opposing the military government and expressing support for the protesters. The 24-year-old Takhon and his sister were arrested at their home in Yangon after eight military trucks arrived to their residence. The arrests were conducted without resistance, according to Takhon's mother, due to Takhon being in poor health. Other 120 celebrities were also arrested.
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Domestic civil resistance efforts in Myanmar, known locally as the Spring Revolution (Burmese: နွေဦးတော်လှန်ရေး), began in early 2021 in opposition to the coup d'état on 1 February, staged by Min Aung Hlaing, the commander-in-chief of the country's armed forces, the Tatmadaw. As of 4 April 2021[update], at least 564 civilians of which at least 44 were children, have been killed by military or police forces and at least 2,574 people detained.
According to the AAPP, as of 4 April 2021, 564 protesters have been killed. The junta's indiscriminate use of force has resulted in the deaths of at least 44 children, including a 7 year old girl who was shot in her home and reports of hundreds of children and young people detained.
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Domestic civil resistance efforts in Myanmar, known locally as the Spring Revolution (Burmese: နွေဦးတော်လှန်ရေး), began in early 2021 in opposition to the coup d'état on 1 February, staged by Min Aung Hlaing, the commander-in-chief of the country's armed forces, the Tatmadaw. As of 8 April 2021[update], at least 614 civilians of which at least 44 were children, have been killed by military or police forces and at least 2,857 people detained.
According to the AAPP, as of 8 April 2021, 614 protesters have been killed. The junta's indiscriminate use of force has resulted in the deaths of at least 44 children, including a 7 year old girl who was shot in her home and reports of hundreds of children and young people detained.
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Following the Facebook ban, demand for VPN services surged in the country. According to a UK-based digital privacy and security research group, demand for VPN surged by more than 7000%. The free to use proxy service Psiphon, used to circumvent censorship, which has seen its user base surge from 5,000 daily users before the 1 February coup d'état to more than 1.6 million users with an average of 14 million daily connections as of 15 February 2021.
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Following the Facebook ban, demand for VPN services surged in the country. According to a UK-based digital privacy and security research group, demand for VPN surged by more than 7000%. The free to use proxy service Psiphon, used to circumvent censorship, has seen its user base surge from 5,000 daily users before the 1 February coup d'état to more than 1.6 million users with an average of 14 million daily connections as of 15 February 2021.
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Protests |
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The deadliest for either the military or police came on 10 April, when an alliance made of the Arakan Army, the Ta’ang National Liberation Army and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army attacked a police station in Naungmon, Shan State, killing at least 10 police officers.
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Protests |
The most violent day of the protests came on March 27, the annual Armed Forces Day holiday, at least 107 were reported to have killed the highest death toll of any individual day.
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The most violent day of the protests came on March 27, the annual Armed Forces Day holiday, at least 107 were reported to have killed the highest death toll of any individual day. On the same day, the group Karen National Union (KNU) attacked a military base and killed 10 soldiers and took others as hostages in the first attack on the military since the protests began.
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United Nations |
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On 9 April, Myanmar's UN envoy Kyaw Moe Tun furtherly condemned the junta and called for international intervention and the imposition of a "[[no-fly zone". He also regretted the alleged "lack of adequate and strong action by the international community, especially the UN Security Council."
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United Nations |
On 9 April, Myanmar's UN envoy Kyaw Moe Tun furtherly condemned the junta and called for international intervention and the imposition of a "[[no-fly zone". He also regretted the alleged "lack of adequate and strong action by the international community, especially the UN Security Council."
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On 9 April, Myanmar's UN envoy Kyaw Moe Tun furtherly condemned the junta and called for international intervention and the imposition of a "no-fly zone". He also regretted the alleged "lack of adequate and strong action by the international community, especially the UN Security Council."
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On 8 February 2021, police began using rubber bullets, water cannons and tear gas, to disperse protesters at mass rallies. The military leader Min Aung Hlaing ordered a clampdown and suppression of demonstrations as protesters nationwide embarked on a strike. On 9 February two protesters in Naypyidaw were admitted to a local hospital in critical condition, for gunshot wounds. One of these was Mya Thwe Thwe Khine, a twenty year old woman, whose death in a hospital on February 19th, became emblematic for the cause of the protesters.
In the lead-up to the coup, pro-military protesters had begun rallying in an attempt to de-legitimise the results of the 2020 elections. On February 2 the first protest was made against the coup and four arrests were made on February 4 when thirty citizens protested against the coup d'état, in front of the University of Medicine in Mandalay.
The most violent day of the protests came on March 27, the annual Armed Forces Day holiday, at least 107 were reported to have killed the highest death toll of any individual day. On the same day, the group Karen National Union (KNU) attacked a military base and killed 10 soldiers and took others as hostages in the first attack on the military since the protests began.
The first day of openly armed resistance against the coup came on 8 April when protesters fought back against soldiers with hunting rifles and firebombs in the town of Taze. The resistance was quickly controlled by troops reinforcements and resulted in 11 protesters deaths. The same day, the country surpassed 600 deaths related to anti-coup protests since February 1.
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On 8 February 2021, police began using rubber bullets, water cannons and tear gas, to disperse protesters at mass rallies. The military leader Min Aung Hlaing ordered a clampdown and suppression of demonstrations as protesters nationwide embarked on a strike. On 9 February two protesters in Naypyidaw were admitted to a local hospital in critical condition, for gunshot wounds. One of these was Mya Thwe Thwe Khine, a twenty year old woman, whose death in a hospital on 19 February, became emblematic for the cause of the protesters.
In the lead-up to the coup, pro-military protesters had begun rallying in an attempt to de-legitimise the results of the 2020 elections. On 2 February the first protest was made against the coup and four arrests were made on 4 February when thirty citizens protested against the coup d'état, in front of the University of Medicine in Mandalay.
The most violent day of the protests came on 27 March, the annual Armed Forces Day holiday, at least 107 were reported to have killed the highest death toll of any individual day. On the same day, the group Karen National Union (KNU) attacked a military base and killed 10 soldiers and took others as hostages in the first attack on the military since the protests began.
The first day of openly armed resistance against the coup came on 8 April when protesters fought back against soldiers with hunting rifles and firebombs in the town of Taze. The resistance was quickly controlled by troops reinforcements and resulted in 11 protesters deaths. The same day, the country surpassed 600 deaths related to anti-coup protests since 1 February.
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The first day of openly armed resistance against the coup came on 8 April when protesters fought back against soldiers with hunting rifles and firebombs in the town of Taze. The resistance was quickly controlled by troops reinforcements and resulted in 11 protesters deaths. The same day, the country surpassed 600 deaths related to anti-coup protests since 1 February.
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The first day of openly armed resistance against the coup came on 28 March when protesters in the town of Kalay when armed protesters fought back against soldiers and security forces attacking a protest camp, with clashes also taking place in villages in Kale township. The town of Taze became another frequent site of clashes, such as on 8 April when protesters fought back against soldiers with hunting rifles and firebombs in a battle that resulted in 11 protesters deaths. The same day, the country surpassed 600 deaths related to anti-coup protests since 1 February.
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The first day of openly armed resistance against the coup came on 28 March when protesters in the town of Kalay when armed protesters fought back against soldiers and security forces attacking a protest camp, with clashes also taking place in villages in Kale township. The town of Taze became another frequent site of clashes, such as on 8 April when protesters fought back against soldiers with hunting rifles and firebombs in a battle that resulted in 11 protesters deaths. The same day, the country surpassed 600 deaths related to anti-coup protests since 1 February.
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In response to the brutal crackdowns, protesters in Myanmar have increasingly begun arming themselves with homemade weapons such as guns in an attempt to defend themselves against attacks by the military. Clashes with soldiers and IED attacks against administrative buildings and police stations have become more common as armed resistance to the Tatmadaw by protesters has become a rising trend.
The first day of openly armed resistance against the coup came on 28 March when protesters in the town of Kalay when armed protesters fought back against soldiers and security forces attacking a protest camp, with clashes also taking place in villages in Kale township. The town of Taze became another frequent site of clashes, such as on 8 April when protesters fought back against soldiers with hunting rifles and firebombs in a battle that resulted in 11 protesters' deaths. The same day, the country surpassed 600 deaths related to anti-coup protests since 1 February.
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In late March, it was reported that dozens of protesters had travelled to Myanmar's border areas to enlist in and train under one of the country's many insurgent groups, elevating the risk of a countrywide civil war. The CRPH also proposed the formation of a "federal armed force" to combat the military. The Kachin Independence Army (KIA) has already been on the offensive against the military since February, and in late March the Arakan Army (AA) has threatened to end its ceasefire with the military should the latter persist in massacring civilians.
In response to the brutal crackdowns, protesters in Myanmar have increasingly begun arming themselves with homemade weapons such as guns in an attempt to defend themselves against attacks by the military. Clashes with soldiers and IED attacks against administrative buildings and police stations have become more common as armed resistance to the Tatmadaw by protesters has become a rising trend.
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In late March, it was reported that dozens of protesters had travelled to Myanmar's border areas to enlist in and train under one of the country's many insurgent groups, elevating the risk of a countrywide civil war. The CRPH also proposed the formation of a "federal armed force" to combat the military. The Kachin Independence Army (KIA) has already been on the offensive against the military since February, and in late March the Arakan Army (AA) has threatened to end its ceasefire with the military should the latter persist in massacring civilians.
Also since late March, protesters in Myanmar have increasingly begun arming themselves with homemade weapons such as guns in an attempt to defend themselves against attacks by the military. Clashes with soldiers and IED attacks against administrative buildings and police stations have become more common as armed resistance to the Tatmadaw by protesters has become a rising trend.
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| 1017122017 |
2021-04-10T23:24:25Z |
143363(-25) |
6275(-3) |
292(0) |
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Domestic civil resistance efforts in Myanmar, known locally as the Spring Revolution (Burmese: နွေဦးတော်လှန်ရေး), began in early 2021 in opposition to the coup d'état on 1 February, staged by Min Aung Hlaing, the commander-in-chief of the country's armed forces, the Tatmadaw. As of 8 April 2021[update], at least 614 civilians of which at least 44 were children, have been killed by military or police forces and at least 2,857 people detained.
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Protests in Myanmar, known locally as the Spring Revolution (Burmese: နွေဦးတော်လှန်ရေး), began in early 2021 in opposition to the coup d'état on 1 February, staged by Min Aung Hlaing, the commander-in-chief of the country's armed forces, the Tatmadaw. As of 8 April 2021[update], at least 614 civilians of which at least 44 were children, have been killed by military or police forces and at least 2,857 people detained.
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| 1017161136 |
2021-04-11T05:39:14Z |
143367(4) |
6275(0) |
292(0) |
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| 1017163335 |
2021-04-11T06:04:19Z |
143417(50) |
6275(0) |
292(0) |
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| 1017164864 |
2021-04-11T06:22:44Z |
143995(578) |
6304(29) |
293(1) |
Use of force |
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On 9 April, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners and Myanmar Now reported that security forces had killed more than 80 protesters in Bago by firing rifle grenades at them.
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| 1017164899 |
2021-04-11T06:23:07Z |
143994(-1) |
6305(1) |
293(0) |
Use of force |
On 30 March 2021, numerous airstrikes against protesters in Kayin State were reported.
On 9 April, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners and Myanmar Now reported that security forces had killed more than 80 protesters in Bago by firing rifle grenades at them.
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On 30 March 2021, numerous airstrikes against protesters in Kayin State were reported. On 9 April, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners and Myanmar Now reported that security forces had killed more than 80 protesters in Bago by firing rifle grenades at them.
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| 1017182617 |
2021-04-11T09:35:35Z |
143989(-5) |
6304(-1) |
293(0) |
United Kingdom |
On 1 April 2021, the British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab condemned the coup again and announced economic sanctions on Burmese conglomerate Myanmar Economic Corporation (MEC) over funding of the military and association with military officials. Raab further stated that the junta had "sunk to a new low with the wanton killing of innocent civilians, including children". Later, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken welcomed the United Kingdom's move. On 7 April, Myanmar's ambassador to the United Kingdom Kyaw Zwar Minn was locked out of the London embassy after criticizing Myanmar's ruling authorities.
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On 1 April, the British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab condemned the coup again and announced economic sanctions on Burmese conglomerate Myanmar Economic Corporation (MEC) over funding of the military and association with military officials. Raab further stated that the junta had "sunk to a new low with the wanton killing of innocent civilians, including children". Later, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken welcomed the United Kingdom's move. On 7 April, Myanmar's ambassador to the United Kingdom Kyaw Zwar Minn was locked out of the London embassy after criticizing Myanmar's ruling authorities.
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| 1017188194 |
2021-04-11T10:31:41Z |
143988(-1) |
6304(0) |
293(0) |
Campaigns and strikes |
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| 1017188247 |
2021-04-11T10:32:13Z |
143986(-2) |
6304(0) |
293(0) |
Social media |
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| 1017188319 |
2021-04-11T10:32:57Z |
143985(-1) |
6304(0) |
293(0) |
International reactions |
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| 1017222281 |
2021-04-11T15:23:50Z |
144037(52) |
6304(0) |
293(0) |
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| 1017222547 |
2021-04-11T15:25:45Z |
144155(118) |
6330(26) |
292(-1) |
Protests |
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On 11 April, the country surpassed 700 deaths since the protests began, according the AAPP.Cite error: The tag has too many names (see the help page).
]]
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| 1017222625 |
2021-04-11T15:26:18Z |
144155(0) |
6318(-12) |
294(2) |
Protests |
On 11 April, the country surpassed 700 deaths since the protests began, according the AAPP.Cite error: The tag has too many names (see the help page).
]]
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On 11 April, the country surpassed 700 deaths since the protests began, according the AAPP.
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| 1017224533 |
2021-04-11T15:40:09Z |
143236(-919) |
6318(0) |
291(-3) |
top |
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| 1017360879 |
2021-04-12T10:09:30Z |
143441(205) |
6318(0) |
291(0) |
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Protests in Myanmar, known locally as the Spring Revolution (Burmese: နွေဦးတော်လှန်ရေး), began in early 2021 in opposition to the coup d'état on 1 February, staged by Min Aung Hlaing, the commander-in-chief of the country's armed forces, the Tatmadaw. As of 8 April 2021[update], at least 614 civilians of which at least 44 were children, have been killed by military or police forces and at least 2,857 people detained.
According to the AAPP, as of 8 April 2021, 614 protesters have been killed. The junta's indiscriminate use of force has resulted in the deaths of at least 44 children, including a 7 year old girl who was shot in her home and reports of hundreds of children and young people detained.
|
Protests in Myanmar, known locally as the Spring Revolution (Burmese: နွေဦးတော်လှန်ရေး), began in early 2021 in opposition to the coup d'état on 1 February, staged by Min Aung Hlaing, the commander-in-chief of the country's armed forces, the Tatmadaw. As of 11 April 2021[update], at least 706 civilians of which at least 44 were children, have been killed by military or police forces and at least 3,059 people detained.
According to the AAPP, as of 11 April 2021, 706 protesters have been killed. The junta's indiscriminate use of force has resulted in the deaths of at least 44 children, including a 7 year old girl who was shot in her home and reports of hundreds of children and young people detained.
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| 1017361255 |
2021-04-12T10:12:43Z |
143569(128) |
6318(0) |
292(1) |
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| 1017389237 |
2021-04-12T14:07:24Z |
143569(0) |
6318(0) |
292(0) |
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During his remarks on 7 February 2021, Pope Francis urged authorities to serve the common good, promote social justice and national stability, and expressed his solidarity with the people of Myanmar. On 17 March, Pope Francis praised Catholic nun, Sister Ann Rosa Nu Tawng, who knelt before security forces in the city of Myitkyina and dissuaded them not to shoot protesters. Francis again urged for a peace and concluded his speech saying "[E]ven I kneel on the streets of Myanmar and say, 'stop the violence.'"
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During his remarks on 7 February 2021, Pope Francis urged authorities to serve the common good, promote social justice and national stability, and expressed his solidarity with the people of Myanmar. On 17 March, Pope Francis praised Catholic nun, Sister Ann Rosa Nu Tawng, who knelt before security forces in the city of Myitkyina and persuaded them not to shoot protesters. Francis again urged for a peace and concluded his speech saying "[E]ven I kneel on the streets of Myanmar and say, 'stop the violence.'"
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| 1017425248 |
2021-04-12T17:45:39Z |
142542(-1027) |
6315(-3) |
292(0) |
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The 2021 Myanmar coup d'état began on the morning of 1 February 2021 when democratically elected members of Myanmar's ruling party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), were deposed by the Tatmadaw – Myanmar's military – which vested power in a stratocracy, the State Administration Council. The Tatmadaw declared a year-long state of emergency and declared power had been vested in Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Min Aung Hlaing. The coup d'état occurred the day before the Parliament of Myanmar was due to swear in the members elected at the November 2020 general election, thereby preventing this from occurring. President Win Myint and State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi were detained, along with ministers and their deputies and members of Parliament.
On 8 February 2021, police began using rubber bullets, water cannons and tear gas, to disperse protesters at mass rallies. The military leader Min Aung Hlaing ordered a clampdown and suppression of demonstrations as protesters nationwide embarked on a strike. On 9 February two protesters in Naypyidaw were admitted to a local hospital in critical condition, for gunshot wounds. One of these was Mya Thwe Thwe Khine, a twenty year old woman, whose death in a hospital on 19 February, became emblematic for the cause of the protesters.
In late March, it was reported that dozens of protesters had travelled to Myanmar's border areas to enlist in and train under one of the country's many insurgent groups, elevating the risk of a countrywide civil war. The CRPH also proposed the formation of a "federal armed force" to combat the military. The Kachin Independence Army (KIA) has already been on the offensive against the military since February, and in late March the Arakan Army (AA) has threatened to end its ceasefire with the military should the latter persist in massacring civilians.
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The 2021 Myanmar coup d'état began on the morning of 1 February 2021 when democratically elected members of Myanmar's ruling party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), were deposed by the Tatmadaw – Myanmar's military – which vested power in a stratocracy, the State Administration Council. The Tatmadaw declared a year-long state of emergency and declared power had been vested in Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Min Aung Hlaing. The coup d'état occurred the day before the Parliament of Myanmar was due to swear in the members elected at the November 2020 general election, thereby preventing this from occurring. President Win Myint and State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi were detained, along with ministers and their deputies and members of Parliament.
On 8 February 2021, police began using rubber bullets, water cannons and tear gas, to disperse protesters at mass rallies. The military leader Min Aung Hlaing ordered a clampdown and suppression of demonstrations as protesters nationwide embarked on a strike. On 9 February two protesters in Naypyidaw were admitted to a local hospital in critical condition, for gunshot wounds. One of these was Mya Thwe Thwe Khine, a twenty year old woman, whose death in a hospital on 19 February, became emblematic for the cause of the protesters.
In late March, it was reported that dozens of protesters had travelled to Myanmar's border areas to enlist in and train under one of the country's many insurgent groups, elevating the risk of a countrywide civil war. The CRPH also proposed the formation of a "federal armed force" to combat the military. The Kachin Independence Army (KIA) has already been on the offensive against the military since February, and in late March the Arakan Army (AA) has threatened to end its ceasefire with the military should the latter persist in massacring civilians.
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| 1017428599 |
2021-04-12T18:07:16Z |
142571(29) |
6315(0) |
292(0) |
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| 1017537943 |
2021-04-13T10:13:48Z |
143247(676) |
6380(65) |
293(1) |
United Nations |
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On 13 April 2021, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet warned of possible crimes against humanity and said it seemed to be heading towards a massive conflict like the one ravaging Syria. Bachelet stated that "[I] fear the situation in Myanmar is heading towards a full-blown conflict. States must not allow the deadly mistakes of the past in Syria and elsewhere to be repeated."
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| 1017538018 |
2021-04-13T10:14:33Z |
143305(58) |
6380(0) |
293(0) |
United Nations |
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| 1017563171 |
2021-04-13T13:43:55Z |
142428(-877) |
6380(0) |
289(-4) |
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| 1017563347 |
2021-04-13T13:45:16Z |
142428(0) |
6380(0) |
289(0) |
|
Protests in Myanmar, known locally as the Spring Revolution (Burmese: နွေဦးတော်လှန်ရေး), began in early 2021 in opposition to the coup d'état on 1 February, staged by Min Aung Hlaing, the commander-in-chief of the country's armed forces, the Tatmadaw. As of 11 April 2021[update], at least 706 civilians of which at least 44 were children, have been killed by military or police forces and at least 3,059 people detained.
According to the AAPP, as of 11 April 2021, 706 protesters have been killed. The junta's indiscriminate use of force has resulted in the deaths of at least 44 children, including a 7 year old girl who was shot in her home and reports of hundreds of children and young people detained.
|
Protests in Myanmar, known locally as the Spring Revolution (Burmese: နွေဦးတော်လှန်ရေး), began in early 2021 in opposition to the coup d'état on 1 February, staged by Min Aung Hlaing, the commander-in-chief of the country's armed forces, the Tatmadaw. As of 12 April 2021[update], at least 710 civilians of which at least 44 were children, have been killed by military or police forces and at least 3,059 people detained.
According to the AAPP, as of 12 April 2021, 710 protesters have been killed. The junta's indiscriminate use of force has resulted in the deaths of at least 44 children, including a 7 year old girl who was shot in her home and reports of hundreds of children and young people detained.
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| 1017563403 |
2021-04-13T13:45:40Z |
142428(0) |
6380(0) |
289(0) |
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Protests in Myanmar, known locally as the Spring Revolution (Burmese: နွေဦးတော်လှန်ရေး), began in early 2021 in opposition to the coup d'état on 1 February, staged by Min Aung Hlaing, the commander-in-chief of the country's armed forces, the Tatmadaw. As of 12 April 2021[update], at least 710 civilians of which at least 44 were children, have been killed by military or police forces and at least 3,059 people detained.
|
Protests in Myanmar, known locally as the Spring Revolution (Burmese: နွေဦးတော်လှန်ရေး), began in early 2021 in opposition to the coup d'état on 1 February, staged by Min Aung Hlaing, the commander-in-chief of the country's armed forces, the Tatmadaw. As of 12 April 2021[update], at least 710 civilians of which at least 44 were children, have been killed by military or police forces and at least 3,080 people detained.
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| 1017617915 |
2021-04-13T19:26:19Z |
142737(309) |
6408(28) |
290(1) |
Public positions |
On 16 February 2021, during a parliamentary address, Singaporean foreign minister Vivian Balakrishnan expressed alarm regarding violent clashes at protests, arrests of civil servants, internet blackouts and troop deployments and armoured vehicles in city streets, and urged authorities to exercise "utmost restraint". UK prime minister Boris Johnson condemned the coup, tweeting "We stand with the people of Myanmar and will ensure those responsible for this coup are held to account," while the US denounced the death of protesters in Myanmar, where the State Department spokesman Ned Price stated that the country condemned the use of force against demonstrators.
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On 16 February 2021, during a parliamentary address, Singaporean foreign minister Vivian Balakrishnan expressed alarm regarding violent clashes at protests, arrests of civil servants, internet blackouts and troop deployments and armoured vehicles in city streets, and urged authorities to exercise "utmost restraint". UK prime minister Boris Johnson condemned the coup, tweeting "We stand with the people of Myanmar and will ensure those responsible for this coup are held to account," while the US denounced the death of protesters in Myanmar, where the State Department spokesman Ned Price stated that the country condemned the use of force against demonstrators. The European Union and Canada released a statement saying "We support the people of Myanmar in their quest for democracy, freedom, peace and prosperity. The world is watching".
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| 1017659308 |
2021-04-14T00:20:20Z |
142739(2) |
6408(0) |
290(0) |
|
During his remarks on 7 February 2021, Pope Francis urged authorities to serve the common good, promote social justice and national stability, and expressed his solidarity with the people of Myanmar. On 17 March, Pope Francis praised Catholic nun, Sister Ann Rosa Nu Tawng, who knelt before security forces in the city of Myitkyina and persuaded them not to shoot protesters. Francis again urged for a peace and concluded his speech saying "[E]ven I kneel on the streets of Myanmar and say, 'stop the violence.'"
On 16 February 2021, during a parliamentary address, Singaporean foreign minister Vivian Balakrishnan expressed alarm regarding violent clashes at protests, arrests of civil servants, internet blackouts and troop deployments and armoured vehicles in city streets, and urged authorities to exercise "utmost restraint". UK prime minister Boris Johnson condemned the coup, tweeting "We stand with the people of Myanmar and will ensure those responsible for this coup are held to account," while the US denounced the death of protesters in Myanmar, where the State Department spokesman Ned Price stated that the country condemned the use of force against demonstrators. The European Union and Canada released a statement saying "We support the people of Myanmar in their quest for democracy, freedom, peace and prosperity. The world is watching".
|
During his remarks on 7 February 2021, Pope Francis urged authorities to serve the common good, promote social justice and national stability, and expressed his solidarity with the people of Myanmar. On 17 March, Pope Francis praised Catholic nun, Sister Ann Rosa Nu Tawng, who knelt before security forces in the city of Myitkyina and persuaded them not to shoot protesters. Francis again urged for a peace and concluded his speech saying, "[E]ven I kneel on the streets of Myanmar and say, 'stop the violence.'"
On 16 February 2021, during a parliamentary address, Singaporean foreign minister Vivian Balakrishnan expressed alarm regarding violent clashes at protests, arrests of civil servants, internet blackouts and troop deployments and armoured vehicles in city streets, and urged authorities to exercise "utmost restraint". UK prime minister Boris Johnson condemned the coup, tweeting "We stand with the people of Myanmar and will ensure those responsible for this coup are held to account," while the US denounced the death of protesters in Myanmar, where the State Department spokesman Ned Price stated that the country condemned the use of force against demonstrators. The European Union and Canada released a statement saying, "We support the people of Myanmar in their quest for democracy, freedom, peace and prosperity. The world is watching".
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| 1017744168 |
2021-04-14T11:02:16Z |
142710(-29) |
6408(0) |
290(0) |
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| 1017920997 |
2021-04-15T10:11:03Z |
143183(473) |
6431(23) |
291(1) |
Arrests and charges |
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On 15 April 2021, security forces arrested Wai Moe Naing, one of the most prominent leaders of the protests, near the town of Monywa.
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| 1017921080 |
2021-04-15T10:12:01Z |
142935(-248) |
6431(0) |
291(0) |
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| 1017959152 |
2021-04-15T15:08:34Z |
143191(256) |
6431(0) |
291(0) |
Protests |
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| 1018110892 |
2021-04-16T09:37:33Z |
143190(-1) |
6431(0) |
291(0) |
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| 1018142915 |
2021-04-16T13:59:02Z |
143939(749) |
6491(60) |
292(1) |
United Nations |
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On 16 April, ASEAN (of which Myanmar is part) announced a summit where junta leader Min Aung Hlaing would address the ongoing situation for the first time since taking power. The bloc is divided by countries pushing for action (Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines) and other countries with more neutral or supportive stances such as Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.
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| 1018142965 |
2021-04-16T13:59:17Z |
143940(1) |
6491(0) |
292(0) |
= ASEAN |
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| 1018163327 |
2021-04-16T15:53:10Z |
143975(35) |
6491(0) |
292(0) |
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| 1018163778 |
2021-04-16T15:55:17Z |
144012(37) |
6491(0) |
292(0) |
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| 1018200543 |
2021-04-16T19:10:15Z |
144052(40) |
6493(2) |
292(0) |
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Protests in Myanmar, known locally as the Spring Revolution (Burmese: နွေဦးတော်လှန်ရေး), began in early 2021 in opposition to the coup d'état on 1 February, staged by Min Aung Hlaing, the commander-in-chief of the country's armed forces, the Tatmadaw. As of 12 April 2021[update], at least 710 civilians of which at least 44 were children, have been killed by military or police forces and at least 3,080 people detained.
|
Protests in Myanmar, known locally as the Spring Revolution (Burmese: နွေဦးတော်လှန်ရေး, Burmese pronunciation: [nwè.ú.tɔ̀.l̥àɰ̃.jé]), began in early 2021 in opposition to the coup d'état on 1 February, staged by Min Aung Hlaing, the commander-in-chief of the country's armed forces, the Tatmadaw. As of 12 April 2021[update], at least 710 civilians of which at least 44 were children, have been killed by military or police forces and at least 3,080 people detained.
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| 1018265232 |
2021-04-17T03:52:11Z |
144066(14) |
6493(0) |
292(0) |
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| 1018308757 |
2021-04-17T10:43:54Z |
144584(518) |
6530(37) |
293(1) |
ASEAN |
On 16 April, ASEAN (of which Myanmar is part) announced a summit where junta leader Min Aung Hlaing would address the ongoing situation for the first time since taking power. The bloc is divided by countries pushing for action (Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines) and other countries with more neutral or supportive stances such as Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.
|
On 16 April 2021, ASEAN (of which Myanmar is part) announced a summit where junta leader Min Aung Hlaing would address the ongoing situation for the first time since taking power. The bloc is divided by countries pushing for action (Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines) and other countries with more neutral or supportive stances such as Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.
On 17 April 2021, the Thai spokesman for junta leader Min Aung Hlaing confirmed that he was going to attend the next body's summit on 24 April in Indonesia, marking his first foreign trip since taking power.
|
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| 1018309968 |
2021-04-17T10:56:14Z |
145613(1029) |
6608(78) |
295(2) |
Protests |
|
On 16 April 2021, pro-democracy politician Min Ko Naing announced the formation of the National Unity Government of Myanmar, with people of ethnic minority groups amongst senior roles and said that ousted leaders Aung San Suu Kyi and U Win Myint would retain their positions and that members of the Kachin and Karen minorities would have top priority in the new parallel government. In the same announcement, Min Ko Naing asked the international community for recognition over the junta.
|
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| 1018310086 |
2021-04-17T10:57:11Z |
145611(-2) |
6607(-1) |
295(0) |
Protests |
On 16 April 2021, pro-democracy politician Min Ko Naing announced the formation of the National Unity Government of Myanmar, with people of ethnic minority groups amongst senior roles and said that ousted leaders Aung San Suu Kyi and U Win Myint would retain their positions and that members of the Kachin and Karen minorities would have top priority in the new parallel government. In the same announcement, Min Ko Naing asked the international community for recognition over the junta.
|
On 16 April 2021, pro-democracy politician Min Ko Naing announced the formation of the National Unity Government of Myanmar, with people of ethnic minority groups amongst senior roles and said that ousted leaders Aung San Suu Kyi and Win Myint would retain their positions and that members of the Kachin and Karen minorities would have top priority in the new parallel government. In the same announcement, Min Ko Naing asked the international community for recognition over the junta.
|
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| 1018333332 |
2021-04-17T14:19:47Z |
145586(-25) |
6607(0) |
295(0) |
|
Protests in Myanmar, known locally as the Spring Revolution (Burmese: နွေဦးတော်လှန်ရေး, Burmese pronunciation: [nwè.ú.tɔ̀.l̥àɰ̃.jé]), began in early 2021 in opposition to the coup d'état on 1 February, staged by Min Aung Hlaing, the commander-in-chief of the country's armed forces, the Tatmadaw. As of 12 April 2021[update], at least 710 civilians of which at least 44 were children, have been killed by military or police forces and at least 3,080 people detained.
According to the AAPP, as of 12 April 2021, 710 protesters have been killed. The junta's indiscriminate use of force has resulted in the deaths of at least 44 children, including a 7 year old girl who was shot in her home and reports of hundreds of children and young people detained.
|
Protests in Myanmar, known locally as the Spring Revolution (Burmese: နွေဦးတော်လှန်ရေး, Burmese pronunciation: [nwè.ú.tɔ̀.l̥àɰ̃.jé]), began in early 2021 in opposition to the coup d'état on 1 February, staged by Min Aung Hlaing, the commander-in-chief of the country's armed forces, the Tatmadaw. As of 16 April 2021[update], at least 728 civilians of which at least 44 were children, have been killed by military or police forces and at least 3,141 people detained.
According to the AAPP, as of 16 April 2021, 728 protesters have been killed. The junta's indiscriminate use of force has resulted in the deaths of at least 44 children, including a 7 year old girl who was shot in her home and reports of hundreds of children and young people detained.
|
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| 1018333444 |
2021-04-17T14:20:45Z |
145603(17) |
6609(2) |
295(0) |
|
Protests in Myanmar, known locally as the Spring Revolution (Burmese: နွေဦးတော်လှန်ရေး, Burmese pronunciation: [nwè.ú.tɔ̀.l̥àɰ̃.jé]), began in early 2021 in opposition to the coup d'état on 1 February, staged by Min Aung Hlaing, the commander-in-chief of the country's armed forces, the Tatmadaw. As of 16 April 2021[update], at least 728 civilians of which at least 44 were children, have been killed by military or police forces and at least 3,141 people detained.
|
Protests in Myanmar, known locally as the Spring Revolution (Burmese: နွေဦးတော်လှန်ရေး, Burmese pronunciation: [nwè.ú.tɔ̀.l̥àɰ̃.jé]), began in early 2021 in opposition to the coup d'état on 1 February, staged by Min Aung Hlaing, the commander-in-chief of the country's armed forces, the Tatmadaw. As of 16 April 2021[update], at least 728 protesters and bystanders, of which at least 44 were children, have been killed by military or police forces and at least 3,141 people detained.
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| 1018357690 |
2021-04-17T17:13:42Z |
145596(-7) |
6609(0) |
295(0) |
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| 1018358194 |
2021-04-17T17:17:42Z |
145603(7) |
6609(0) |
295(0) |
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| 1018419903 |
2021-04-18T00:35:16Z |
145763(160) |
6624(15) |
295(0) |
|
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248 protesters (per SAC; as of 7 April)16 police officers (per SAC; as of 7 April)[a]
}}
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| 1018420613 |
2021-04-18T00:39:41Z |
145775(12) |
6609(-15) |
295(0) |
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248 protesters (per SAC; as of 7 April)16 police officers (per SAC; as of 7 April)[a]
}}
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| 1018421388 |
2021-04-18T00:44:20Z |
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| 1018497680 |
2021-04-18T11:06:47Z |
146355(580) |
6660(51) |
296(1) |
ASEAN |
On 17 April 2021, the Thai spokesman for junta leader Min Aung Hlaing confirmed that he was going to attend the next body's summit on 24 April in Indonesia, marking his first foreign trip since taking power.
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On 17 April 2021, the Thai spokesman for junta leader Min Aung Hlaing confirmed that he was going to attend the next body's summit on 24 April in Indonesia, marking his first foreign trip since taking power. The next day the NUG asked to be invited to the summit and called on the member nations not to recognize the junta government. A deputy for foreign affairs of the NUG said that ASEAN should negotiate with the NUG, as it "is supported by the people and has complete legitimacy."
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| 1018679880 |
2021-04-19T09:01:22Z |
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| 1018684746 |
2021-04-19T09:40:54Z |
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6660(0) |
296(0) |
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| 1018711187 |
2021-04-19T13:14:52Z |
146362(0) |
6660(0) |
296(0) |
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Protests in Myanmar, known locally as the Spring Revolution (Burmese: နွေဦးတော်လှန်ရေး, Burmese pronunciation: [nwè.ú.tɔ̀.l̥àɰ̃.jé]), began in early 2021 in opposition to the coup d'état on 1 February, staged by Min Aung Hlaing, the commander-in-chief of the country's armed forces, the Tatmadaw. As of 16 April 2021[update], at least 728 protesters and bystanders, of which at least 44 were children, have been killed by military or police forces and at least 3,141 people detained.
According to the AAPP, as of 16 April 2021, 728 protesters have been killed. The junta's indiscriminate use of force has resulted in the deaths of at least 44 children, including a 7 year old girl who was shot in her home and reports of hundreds of children and young people detained.
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Protests in Myanmar, known locally as the Spring Revolution (Burmese: နွေဦးတော်လှန်ရေး, Burmese pronunciation: [nwè.ú.tɔ̀.l̥àɰ̃.jé]), began in early 2021 in opposition to the coup d'état on 1 February, staged by Min Aung Hlaing, the commander-in-chief of the country's armed forces, the Tatmadaw. As of 18 April 2021[update], at least 737 protesters and bystanders, of which at least 44 were children, have been killed by military or police forces and at least 3,229 people detained.
According to the AAPP, as of 18 April 2021, 737 protesters have been killed. The junta's indiscriminate use of force has resulted in the deaths of at least 44 children, including a 7 year old girl who was shot in her home and reports of hundreds of children and young people detained.
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| 1018731768 |
2021-04-19T15:34:07Z |
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| 1018791845 |
2021-04-19T21:58:58Z |
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297(1) |
United States |
On 29 March, the United States announced they would suspend all trade engagement under a 2013 trade and investment agreement.
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On 29 March, the United States announced they would suspend all trade engagement under a 2013 trade and investment agreement. A day later on 30 March, the Department of State ordered the departure of non-emergency employees from Myanmar.
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| 1018794125 |
2021-04-19T22:16:58Z |
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297(0) |
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On 29 March, the United States announced they would suspend all trade engagement under a 2013 trade and investment agreement. A day later on 30 March, the Department of State ordered the departure of non-emergency employees from Myanmar.
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On 29 March, the United States announced they would suspend all trade engagement under a 2013 trade and investment agreement. A day later on 30 March, the Department of State ordered the departure of non-emergency employees from Myanmar.
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| 1018949377 |
2021-04-20T18:54:23Z |
146881(-1) |
6678(0) |
297(0) |
Pot-banging movement |
Since the onset of the coup d'état, residents in urban centers such as Yangon have staged cacerolazos, striking pots and pans in unison every evening as a symbolic act to drive away evil, as a method of expressing their opposition to the coup d'état. On 5 February 2021, thirty people in Mandalay were charged under section 47 of the Police Act for banging pots and kitchenware.
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Since the onset of the coup détat, residents in urban centers such as Yangon have staged cacerolazos, striking pots and pans in unison every evening as a symbolic act to drive away evil, as a method of expressing their opposition to the coup d'état. On 5 February 2021, thirty people in Mandalay were charged under section 47 of the Police Act for banging pots and kitchenware.
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| 1018950032 |
2021-04-20T18:58:19Z |
146882(1) |
6678(0) |
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Since the onset of the coup détat, residents in urban centers such as Yangon have staged cacerolazos, striking pots and pans in unison every evening as a symbolic act to drive away evil, as a method of expressing their opposition to the coup d'état. On 5 February 2021, thirty people in Mandalay were charged under section 47 of the Police Act for banging pots and kitchenware.
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Since the onset of the coup d'état, residents in urban centers such as Yangon have staged cacerolazos, striking pots and pans in unison every evening as a symbolic act to drive away evil, as a method of expressing their opposition to the coup d'état. On 5 February 2021, thirty people in Mandalay were charged under section 47 of the Police Act for banging pots and kitchenware.
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| 1018978213 |
2021-04-20T21:47:28Z |
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299(2) |
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On the morning of 6 February 2021, the military authorities initiated an internet outage nationwide. That same day, Facebook urged authorities to unblock social media services. Facebook also removed the Burmese government's ability to submit content removal requests. Internet access was partially restored the following day, although social media platforms remained blocked. On 14 February 2021, Telenor announced it was no longer permitted to publicly disclose the directives received from military authorities on internet disruptions. Starting on 15 February 2021, the military authorities initiated an internet outage nationwide again from 1:00 to 9:00 a.m. daily but they didn't give any reasons why they cut out.
On 1 April 2021, the military council commanded to the wifi internet service providers to cut out wireless broadband internet too without reasons.
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On the morning of 6 February 2021, the military authorities initiated an internet outage nationwide. That same day, Facebook urged authorities to unblock social media services. Facebook also removed the Burmese government's ability to submit content removal requests. Internet access was partially restored the following day, although social media platforms remained blocked. On 14 February 2021, Telenor announced it was no longer permitted to publicly disclose the directives received from military authorities on internet disruptions. Starting on 15 February 2021, the military authorities initiated an internet outage nationwide again from 1:00 to 9:00 a.m. daily.
On 1 April 2021, the military council commanded to the wifi internet service providers to cut wireless broadband internet, with fixed-line connections which are disconnected from 1AM to 9AM being the only avenue to access the internet.
On 19 April 2021, Reporters Without Borders reported at least 19 journalists, actors, singers, and social media personalities were on a wanted list of "those spreading news to affect state stability", with names, Facebook account details, profile photos, and addresses of the individuals present.
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| 1018978725 |
2021-04-20T21:50:50Z |
147777(262) |
6757(32) |
301(2) |
Media blackout |
Since the coup on 1 February 2021, authorities have blocked popular news channels, including free-to-air channels like the Democratic Voice of Burma and Mizzima TV, as well as foreign news channels, including CNN from the United States, NHK from Japan, and the BBC from the United Kingdom. On 7 February, the regime also blocked The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist and two wire services, the Associated Press and Reuters. A Myanmar Press Council representative has expressed concern over the future of freedom of the press in the country, the public's right to access information, and the future of Myanmar's nascent news organisations.
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Since the coup on 1 February 2021, authorities have blocked popular news channels, including free-to-air channels like the Democratic Voice of Burma and Mizzima TV, as well as foreign news channels, including CNN from the United States, NHK from Japan, and the BBC from the United Kingdom. On 7 February, the regime also blocked The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist and two wire services, the Associated Press and Reuters. A Myanmar Press Council representative has expressed concern over the future of freedom of the press in the country, the public's right to access information, and the future of Myanmar's nascent news organisations. Satellite dishes have been banned in certain regions from early March to prevent access to foreign media.
Domestic privately-owned radio and TV stations have been suspended, with only entertainment permitted to be broadcast.
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| 1018979496 |
2021-04-20T21:56:42Z |
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303(2) |
Arrests and charges |
On 17 February 2021, authorities issued arrest warrants for several celebrities, namely Lu Min, Pyay Ti Oo, Ko Pauk, Na Gyi, Anegga, and Wyne, for encouraging civil servants to join the ongoing civil disobedience movement. More than 1,700 people had been arrested as of 4 March.
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On 17 February 2021, authorities issued arrest warrants for several celebrities, namely Lu Min, Pyay Ti Oo, Ko Pauk, Na Gyi, Anegga, and Wyne, for encouraging civil servants to join the ongoing civil disobedience movement. More than 1,700 people had been arrested as of 4 March. On 2 April 2021, eleven individuals were arrested in Yangon after answering questions from a CNN television crew which had recieved permission to report in Myanmar, with three of these individuals still held as of 19 April 2021[update].
On 2 April 2021, eleven individuals were arrested in Yangon for answering questions by a CNN television crew which had received permission to report in Myanmar.
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| 1018980192 |
2021-04-20T22:01:52Z |
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Public positions |
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On 19 April 2021, the European Union expanded sanctions to 35 individuals and the state-owned firms Myanmar Economic Corporation and Myanmar Economic Holding Limited, with sanctions including asset freezes and travel bans.
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