JAKARTA - Protesters of military rule in Myanmar have made Easter eggs a symbol of rebellion. They posted pictures of eggs with slogans after candlelight nights across the country in memory of those killed since the February 1 coup.
The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, an activist group monitoring casualties and arrests since the military ousted Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi from the elected government, said the death toll had risen to 557.
"People all over Myanmar continue to attack to end the dictatorship, for democracy and human rights", the group said.
Despite the killings, protesters come out every day, often in small groups in small towns, to reject the return of military rule after a decade of efforts toward democracy.
In the evening people gather with candles.
The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners said that 2.658 people were detained, including four women and a man who spoke to a visiting CNN news crew during interviews on the streets of the main city of Yangon last week.
A CNN spokesman said they were aware of the detention reports following the team's visit.
"We urge the authorities for information on this, and for the safe release of any detainee", said a CNN spokesman.
Police and a spokesman for the junta did not answer phone calls seeking comment.
Opponents of military rule also wage a campaign of civil disobedience and they organize impromptu and often creative displays of defiance, including Easter eggs on Sundays.
Messages including "We must win", "Spring Revolution" and "Get Out of MAH" were painted over eggs in photos on social media, the latter referring to junta leader Min Aung Hlaing.
The military is launching their own campaign to control the flow of information and organize its message.
The military ordered internet providers to cut off wireless internet connections starting Friday, depriving most subscribers of access, although some messages and pictures are still being uploaded and shared.
Authorities have also issued arrest warrants for nearly 40 celebrities known to defy military rule, including social media influencers, singers, and models, under a law that prohibits instigating dissent in the armed forces.
The charges, which were announced in the main evening news bulletin broadcast by state media on Friday and Saturday, carry a three-year prison sentence.
Clean conscience
One of the defendants, blogger Thurein Hlaing Win, told Reuters that he was shocked to see himself labeled a criminal on television and went into hiding.
"I have not done anything bad or evil. I stand on the side of the truth. I follow the path I believe in. Between good and evil, I choose good", he said by phone from an undisclosed location.
"If I am punished for that, my conscience is clear. My belief will not change. Everyone knows the truth".
The military ruled the former British colony with an iron fist after seizing power in a 1962 coup until it began withdrawing from civilian politics a decade ago, releasing Suu Kyi from years of house arrest and enabling elections that Suu Kyi's party won in 2015.
The military overthrew Suu Kyi's government because the November election was won by Suu Kyi's party with fraud. The electoral commission has rejected the statement.
Many people in Myanmar, especially young people who have grown up over the last decades of social and economic openness, cannot accept the return of rule by the generals.
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Suu Kyi is in detention facing charges that carry up to 14 years in prison. Her lawyer said the accusations were fabricated.
The coup also sparked clashes with ethnic minority forces seeking autonomy who have announced support for the pro-democracy movement.
The Karen National Union, which signed a ceasefire in 2012, received the first military airstrikes against their forces in more than 20 years.
The Karen National Union must fight to defend themselves against government attacks.
The group said more than 12.000 villagers had fled their homes because of the air strikes.
Fighting also raged in the north between the army and ethnic Kachin rebels. The turmoil has caused several thousand refugees to flee to Thailand and India.
Suu Kyi's party has pledged to establish federal democracy, a key demand for minority groups.
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