Myanmar coup opponents block roads, as UN warns of violence against protesters
- Protesters have vowed a show of force against military leaders after an additional charge was filed against Aung San Suu Kyi
- The UN fears the situation is spiralling out of control and warned that violence could escalate, amid reports extra troops were sent to Yangon
Protesters are deeply sceptical of the junta’s assurances, given at a news conference on Tuesday, that there would be a fair election and it would hand over power, even as police filed an additional charge against Suu Kyi.
The Nobel Peace laureate, detained since the February 1 coup, now faces a charge of violating a Natural Disaster Management Law as well as charges of illegally importing six walkie talkie radios. At a hearing by video conference on Tuesday, her next hearing was set for March 1.
“We’re showing here that we’re not in that 40 million they announced,” Sithu Maung, an elected member of Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) told a cheering crowd at the Sule Pagoda, a central protest site in the main city of Yangon.
Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun, spokesman for the ruling council, told the Tuesday news conference that 40 million of the 53 million population supported the military’s action, which he said was in line with the constitution.
The army alleges there was fraud in a November 8 election won by Suu Kyi’s party that had been expected to pave the way for democratic reform.
We have to fight until the end. People need to come out on the streets
A protester who gave her name as Khin was scornful of that. “What they said was totally untrue ... They said there was vote fraud but look at the people here,” she said.