Police in Myanmar filed a new charge against ousted elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi , her lawyer said on Tuesday, which may allow her to be held indefinitely without trial. Lawyer Khin Maung Zaw told reporters after meeting a judge in a court in the capital Naypyidaw, that Suu Kyi had been charged with violating Article 25 of the Natural Disaster Management Law, which has been used to prosecute people who have broken coronavirus restrictions. Suu Kyi, who was arrested following a military coup on February 1, has already been charged with possessing walkie-talkies that were imported without being registered. Myanmar’s protesters are undaunted, but how far can the military be pushed? Ousted President Win Myint was charged under the same law when he and Suu Kyi, who held the top government post with the title of state counsellor, were detained during the army’s takeover. The maximum punishment for the Covid-19 violation is three years’ imprisonment. However, the new charge may allow Suu Kyi to be held indefinitely without trial because a change in the Penal Code instituted by the junta last week permits detention without court permission. The move came as Myanmar’s junta on Tuesday again defended its takeover in the face of nationwide protests, dismissing the impact of US sanctions while showing no signs of a compromise with demonstrators. Brigadier-General Zaw Min Tun, the lead spokesman for the State Administration Council, said the military’s actions were in line with the 2008 constitution and “not a coup”. He said the junta would proceed with an election according to its timeline while “trying not to be violent as much as possible”. “Our objective is to hold an election and hand power to the winning party,” Zaw Min Tun said in the military’s first news conference since it seized power on February 1. The junta has not given a date for a new election but it has imposed a state of emergency in Myanmar for one year. “We guarantee ... that the election will be held,” Zaw Min Tun told the news conference which the military broadcast live over Facebook, a platform the military has banned. He added that the regime was taking steps to fight Covid-19 and wanted to attract foreign investment, while seeking to discredit protesters by showing videos of violence against authorities. “To ensure democracy and prosperity, people should cooperate with us without being emotional,” Zaw Min Tun said. US sanctions Myanmar military leaders, freezing assets and cutting exports On Tuesday, groups of demonstrators turned out in Yangon and other cities to protest the coup and demand that Suu Kyi and members of her ousted government be freed from detention. The military justified its power seizure by alleging widespread voter fraud in November elections that Suu Kyi’s party won. Security forces have used increasing force to quell huge nationwide street protests and a disobedience campaign encouraging civil servants to strike. US President Joe Biden sanctioned coup leader Min Aung Hlaing and other top generals while foreign investors have reassessed plans to put money in the country. Zaw Min Tun on Tuesday said the demonstrators in various parts of the country were inciting violence and “illegally pressuring” civil servants to strike. He added there had been a series of attacks on police authorities in recent days and that a policeman who was assaulted a few days ago had died of his injuries. He said the generals expected sanctions and dismissed their impact, saying it had experience of such things when Myanmar faced international isolation prior to its shift toward democracy a decade ago. “We will make sure to keep good terms with the UN and all the countries,” Zaw Min Tun said. “Our council is trying to strengthen ties with all countries.” He said Suu Kyi was in “good health”, while adding that authorities were investigating money laundering at a foundation she runs. The junta shut down the internet for a second straight night, part of efforts to disrupt telephone and internet access to prevent demonstrators from organising. It has also made changes to the telecommunications law to impose harsher prison sentences for illegal online activity, while also granting themselves new powers to intercept communications and detain dissidents. Suu Kyi and other political leaders are among more than 400 people detained since the coup, a number that keeps rising by the day. While police and soldiers have largely avoided confronting protesters in major cities like Yangon who have ignored a ban on public gatherings, several demonstrators have been injured in crackdowns – including a woman shot in the head who is now on life support in Naypyidaw, the capital. Zaw Min Tun declined to say whether the woman was hit with a rubber bullet or live bullet, as protesters have alleged. “We will give you all the information about what the girl did to the police,” he told reporters. Myanmar’s Gen Z protesters defy military with satirical signs He also urged civil servants to return to work, saying “we will unavoidably take actions against these civil servants after a certain period”. He added that the government was “operating as normal” despite the protests. According to a copy of the amended telecommunications law seen by Bloomberg News, anyone found guilty of perpetuating a cyber-attack to threaten national sovereignty or unity may now face up to five years in prison and fines of as much 30 million kyat (US$22,570). Those who commit such attacks to hurt Myanmar’s relationship with other countries face even stiffer penalties, up to seven years in prison and a 50 million kyat fine. Those found guilty of spreading fake news or hoaxes online to cause public panic, or publishing private information of another individual without their permission, meanwhile face up to three years in prison and fines of as much as 5 million kyat. Telenor Group, which owns one of two wholly foreign owned telecommunications providers in Myanmar, on Monday joined mounting opposition to the junta’s proposed cyber-security bill, saying it gives the regime broad powers including the ability to order lawful interception. The Asia Internet Coalition, whose members include Facebook, Apple and Google, stated on February 11 that the bill allows for unprecedented censorship, violates privacy and would “significantly undermine freedom of expression”. “The current very short and limited consultation has not allowed for the required dialog on the proposed Cyber Security Bill,” Telenor said in a statement. “We are concerned that the proposed bill does not progress relevant regulatory frameworks and law for a digital future, nor promotes and safeguards digital safety and rights.” Additional reporting by Reuters