YANGON, Myanmar (AP) – Anti-coup protesters in Myanmar, adept at finding themes to link protests across the country, took to the streets with painted eggs in a nod to Sunday’s Easter holidays.
In Yangon’s largest city, a group marched through the Insein district singing and singing protest songs and rocking eggs with the slogan “Spring Revolution”. Many of the eggs also bore a drawing of the three-fingered salute, a symbol of resistance to the February 1 coup.
At dawn in Mandalay, the country’s second-largest city, protesters gathered on motorcycles to protest against the coup that overthrew the democratically elected government.
Myanmar’s military has taken violence against protesters and others in the opposition, with the latest civilian casualties since the coup at 557, according to the independent Assistance Association for Political Prisoners. More than 2,750 people have been detained or convicted, the group said.
On Sunday, security forces opened fire on a crowd of protesters in Pyinmana in central Myanmar, killing at least one person, local news outlet Khit Thit Media reported.
Pope Francis, in his Easter Sunday speech in St. Peter’s Basilica, prayed for the “young people of Myanmar who are committed to democracy and to make their voices heard peacefully, knowing that only love can drive away hatred.”
The so-called “Easter Egg Strike” on Sunday follows other theme days. They include a “Flower Strike,” in which protesters laid flowers in public places in honor of those killed by security forces, and a “Silent Strike,” in which people across the country deserted and left the streets.
Dr. Sasa, Myanmar’s special envoy to the UN who is known by one name, posted an image of painted eggs on Twitter, writing that the people of Myanmar have a “great future in federal democracy,” reflecting hopes that the military will resign and rejoin a democratic system.
Security forces have continued to spread fear among ordinary citizens. Overnight, a resident of Yangon recorded a video of a group of soldiers and police using swinging motions to fire stones at the windows of houses, breaking the silence of the night. At other times, soldiers and police continue to intimidate neighborhoods at night with name-calling, random shooting, making arrests and destroying property.
On Saturday, police opened fire, killing several protesters in Monywa in central Myanmar and elsewhere.
With most internet access cut or severely restricted by the junta, it is becoming increasingly difficult for people in Myanmar to get images of their plight to the outside world.
After weeks of nighttime Internet outages, the military closed all connections on Friday, except for those using fiber optic cable, which was operating at drastically slower speeds. Access to cellular networks and all wireless networks – the cheaper options used by most people in the developing world – remained blocked on Sunday.