Myanmar protesters mark 1988 uprising that brought Aung San Suu Kyi to prominence
- Flash mobs popped up across Yangon and Mandalay to commemorate the pro-democracy movement that the military violently quelled
- The 1988 uprising was arguably the most significant challenge to junta rule at the time
The country has been in turmoil since the military coup in February. More than 900 people have been killed and thousands arrested in the subsequent crackdown on dissent, according to a local monitoring group.
But protesters remain undeterred, taking to the streets daily in lightning-quick rallies to demand the end to the State Administration Council – as the junta’s so-called “caretaker” government has dubbed itself.
On Sunday, flash mobs popped up across Yangon and second city Mandalay to commemorate the 1988 uprising – a massive pro-democracy movement that the military violently quelled by opening fire on protesters and jailing thousands.
Following the calls of an online campaign, red-clad protesters on Sunday flashed an eight-finger salute and carried banners that read: “Let’s return the old blood debt of 1988 in 2021.”