Rejecting Myanmar Coup, Tens Of Thousands Of Protesters Back To The Street

Myanmar people demonstrate against the military coup by riding motorbikes in Myanmar's Mandalay area. (Wikimedia Commons / Kantabon)

JAKARTA - Myanmar police spray water cannons on protesters in Myanmar's capital, Naypyidaw, Monday, February 8, as tens of thousands of people staged a demonstration against Myanmar's coup carried out by the Military Junta last week.

Calls to join rallies and support the campaign for civil disobedience has increasingly flowed in line with international condemnation of the military coup.

"We health workers are leading this campaign to urge all government staff to join the (civil disobedience movement)", said Aye Misan, a nurse at a government hospital at a protest in the largest city of Yangon, told Reuters.

"Our message to the public is that we aim to completely eliminate this military regime and we must fight for our destiny", he continued.

In Yangon, a group of saffron-robed monks lined up in rows at the front of the protesters, together with workers and students, in front of a protest with workers and students. They waved colorful Buddhist flags alongside a red banner with the colors of Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD), which won the general election in November 2020.

The protesters carried posters with various words. Among them read 'Free Our Leaders, Respect Our Voices, Reject Military Coup', 'Save Democracy', and 'Say No to Dictatorship'.

Meanwhile, thousands of people lined up in the coastal city of Dawei, in the southeast, and in the capital city of Kachin state in the far north, where they were dressed in black from head to toe.

The protests have been peaceful so far, unlike the bloody crackdowns during previous widespread protests in 1988 and 2007. Previously, Archbishop of Myanmar Cardinal Charles Maung Bo called on the public not to use force, to remain calm in voicing his opposition to Myanmar's military coup earlier this week.

“I urge each of you to remain calm, never to become victims of violence. Even at this most challenging time, I believe that peace is the only way. There are always non-violent ways to express our protests", he appealed to Cardinal Charles Maung Bo.