Four arrested in Mandalay after street protest against military coup 

Fifteen people protested against the coup on Thursday morning in front of the medical university in Myanmar’s central city of Mandalay, in what appeared to be the first time that demonstrators have taken to the streets to resist the military regime since its power grab on Monday. 

Protestors shouted “Down with military rule!” and held signs reading “Protect democracy”, “Respect the people’s votes”, and “The public does not accept violence”.

Four people were detained, a witness told Myanmar Now. They are Okkar Min, Min Nyi Nyi Kun, Ye Win Tun and Pyae Sone Aung. 

Police grabbed them after the protesters had dispersed, the witness said.

Five police vehicles were parked in front of the university where the protest took place as security personnel guarded the area, they added. 

The military seized power early Monday morning, just hours before the Lower House was set to convene and certify the result of last year’s November 8 election, which the National League for Democracy (NLD) won in a landslide. 

The NLD’s leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, and President Win Myint were among dozens of politicians arrested in pre-dawn raids that also targeted political dissidents and Buddhist monks. 

Suu Kyi and Win Myint are both facing charges that carry prison sentences of up to three years.

Signs of resistance have been growing this week following a call by Suu Kyi for the public to resist the military regime, written before her detention in anticipation of the coup. 

Medical workers have staged walkouts and put on red ribbons, while Yangon erupted in enourmous city-wide noise protests on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evening as residents banged pots, iron railings and water bottles. 

On Wednesday evening the regime ordered telecoms companies to block access to Facebook, where support for a nationwide civil disobedience campaign was fast gaining momentum. 

Telenor Myanmar issued a statement saying it had complied with the directive. “While the directive has legal basis in Myanmar law, Telenor does not believe that the request is based on necessity and proportionality, in accordance with international human rights law,” the statement said.

“Telenor Myanmar has decided to comply with the directive on 4 February 2021, while expressing grave concerns regarding breach of human rights,” it added. 

The directive ordered the companies to block the platform until just before midnight on February 7. 

Soon after removing Win Myint as president on Monday, the military appointed its handpicked vice president, former general Myint Swe, to replace him.

As acting president, Myint Swe declared a one-year state of emergency and transferred power to the commander-in-chief, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, who now leads the newly formed State Administrative Council.

Eight of the 11 members of the new ruling council, which was formed on Tuesday, are from the military.

The new regime announced that it would hold new general elections and transfer power to the winning party.

The military claims, without evidence, to have found over 10 million irregularities in voter lists used during last year’s election, which it said could have resulted in vote-rigging.