YANGON, Myanmar (AP) – As an enthusiastic crowd of tens of thousands marched through the streets of Myanmar’s largest city on Sunday to protest last week’s coup that overthrew the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, their spirits were roused by the return of internet services that were blocked the day before.
Separate protests that started in different parts of Yangon converged in Sule Pagoda, located in the middle of a roundabout in the center of the city. Protesters chanted ‘Long live mother Suu’ and ‘Down with the military dictatorship’. Protesters in other parts of the country repeated their calls.
Authorities had cut access to the internet as the protests grew on Saturday, fueling fears of a full-blown information blackout. However, on Sunday afternoon, internet users in Yangon reported that data access on their cell phones had suddenly been restored.
Protesters are trying to reverse Monday’s takeover by the military and are demanding the release from detention of Suu Kyi, the deposed leader of the country, and other top figures of her National League for Democracy.
The military has accused Suu Kyi’s government of not following up on its complaints that last November’s election was marred by fraud, although the election commission said it had found no evidence to support the allegations.
The growing protests are a keen reminder of the long and bloody struggle for democracy in a country that directly ruled the military for more than five decades before losing its grip in 2012. Suu Kyi’s government, which won a landslide election in 2015, was civilian-led for the first time in decades, although it faced some restrictions on its power under a military-made constitution.
During Myanmar’s years of isolation under military rule, the golden-domed Sule Pagoda served as a rallying point for political protests calling for democracy, notably during a mass uprising in 1988 and again during a 2007 uprising led by Buddhist monks .
The military used deadly force to end both uprisings, with estimates of hundreds if not thousands killed in 1988. Although riot police have been sent to the protests last week, soldiers were absent and no reports of clashes. .
Several videos posted online Sunday, said to be from the town of Myawaddy, on Myanmar’s eastern border with Thailand, showed police firing into the air in an apparent attempt to disperse a crowd. There were no signs of panic and no reports of injuries.
The protest crowds showed little fear and have grown bigger and bolder in recent days, while remaining nonviolent in support of a call from Suu Kyi’s party and its allies to civil disobedience.
In one of Sunday’s gatherings, at least 2,000 union and student activists and members of the public gathered at a major intersection near Yangon University. They were marching along a main road, traffic growling. Drivers honked in support.
Police in riot gear blocked the main entrance of the university. Two water cannon wagons were parked nearby.
The mostly young protesters held placards calling for freedom for Suu Kyi and President Win Myint, who were placed under house arrest and charged with minor offenses, seen by many as a legal veneer for their detention.
“We want to show this current generation how the older generation is fighting this crisis, by following Mother Suu’s guidance, which is fair, transparent and peaceful,” said 46-year-old protester Htain Linn Aung. ‘We don’t want a military dictator. Let the dictator fail. “
Reports on social media and by some news services in Myanmar said demonstrations were also taking place in other parts of the country, with a particularly large crowd in the central city of Mandalay, which also featured a motorcycle procession in which hundreds took part continuously. squeak their horns.
On Saturday, the number of street protests had grown from hundreds to thousands, but authorities also saw most access to the Internet cut off. Holes in the military firewall let some news out, but also raised fears of a complete information blackout.
Social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter had previously been ordered blocked, but had remained partially accessible. Social media platforms have been major sources of independent news as well as organizing tools for protests.
Netblocks, a London-based service that tracks internet outages and outages, confirmed that internet connection was partially restored on Sunday, but noted that it may be temporary and that social media has been blocked.
The communication blockade was a strong reminder of the progress Myanmar threatens to lose. During Myanmar’s decades of military rule, the country was internationally isolated and communication with the outside world was tightly controlled.
Elected lawmakers from Suu Kyi’s party met at an online rally on Friday to proclaim themselves as the only legitimate representatives of the people and demand international recognition as the country’s government.
Pope Francis joined the international choir concerned about the situation.
In a comment to the public in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday, the Pope said he is “following the situation in Myanmar with great concern,” noting his affection for the country since his visit there in 2017.
He said he hoped Myanmar’s leaders were working “to promote social justice and national stability for a harmonious democratic coexistence”.