More protests held in Myanmar amid diplomacy to resolve crisis

More protests have been held in Myanmar against the recent coup in the country, amid diplomatic efforts to resolve a deepening crisis triggered by the putsch.

According to reports, people took to the streets in cities across the country once more on Wednesday, protesting against the coup and the army generals who ousted de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi on February 1.

The Myanmarese military arrested Suu Kyi and her associates over accusations of voter fraud in favor of her National League for Democracy (NLD) Party in November 2020 elections.

The military placed Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing in power.

Protests have engulfed the country since, despite a junta promise to hold fresh elections in a year and hand over power to the winner. At least four demonstrators have been killed so far. This week, the nation has seen huge rallies and a general strike.

Myanmar was ruled by the military until 2011, when Suu Kyi ended the junta rule and introduced what were presented as reforms. She had been under house arrest before.

Her party, however, cultivated close relations with the military from the beginning of its activity and formed an alliance with senior military officers.

She supported the military in a deadly campaign of genocide against the Rohingya Muslim community in the western state of Rakhine.

Suu Kyi also defended military atrocities against the Rohingya people at the UN’s top court in The Hague in December 2019.

SS