Myanmar protesters able to leave Yangon district after being trapped

Activists said on Tuesday that hundreds of young Myanmar demonstrators who had been trapped by security forces in a Yangon district overnight had been able to escape, following demands from western powers and the United Nations for them to be allowed to leave.

Myanmar has been thrown into turmoil following the army’s occupation and arrest of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Since then, security forces have killed over 60 protesters and arrested over 1,800, according to an advocacy organization.

Sanchaung police, armed with guns and stun grenades, declared on Monday that they would search homes for anyone from outside the district, and that anyone found hiding them would be punished.

Shar Ya Mone, a youth activist, said she had been in a building with 15 to 20 others but had now been able to return home.

“There were many free car rides and people welcoming the protesters,” Shar Ya Mone said by telephone, pledging to keep demonstrating “until the dictatorship ends.”

After security forces withdrew, another protester reported on social media that they were able to evacuate the area about 5 a.m.

The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had previously called for “full restraint” and the peaceful release of all demonstrators without violence or arrests, a call reiterated by the US and UK embassies in Myanmar.

Around 50 people were detained in Sanchaung after police searched homes, according to an advocacy rights organization, while checks were still being conducted.

For more than a month, regular demonstrations have been held to demand Suu Kyi’s release and respect for the election her National League for Democracy (NLD) party won last November.

The army seized power on the basis of election fraud, which the electoral commission refuted. It has promised a new election, but no date has been set.

The military has swept aside criticism of its conduct, as it has in previous times of army rule when protests were violently suppressed.

It is also under pressure this time from a civil disobedience campaign that has paralyzed government operations, as well as protests at banks, factories, and shops that shut down most of Yangon on Monday.

Myanmar’s ambassador to the United Kingdom, following its U.N. representative, called for Suu Kyi’s release on Monday, attracting praise from British Foreign Minister Dominic Raab. The junta has been sanctioned by the United Kingdom, the United States, and a few other Western countries. According to diplomats and two internal documents seen by Reuters, the European Union is planning to broaden its sanctions to include army-run companies.

Katherine S

1/4 German, 3/4 Malaysian. I write, follow and monitor closely political news happening in Malaysia, and other happening news in the ASEAN region. Newswriter for the best ASEAN news website - The Asian Affairs.

Recent Posts

V Surprises ARMY with Two Holiday Releases: A Festive Collab with Park Hyo-shin and “White Christmas” Cover

For K-pop fans, the Christmas season this year has become even more magical as several of their preferred stars reveal…

November 22, 2024

Celine Names TWS as Global Ambassadors Following Suzy Bae Announcement

After Suzy Bae's nomination as Celine's worldwide ambassador, the venerable French luxury fashion company has taken another bold step choosing…

November 22, 2024

Reddit Faces Widespread Outage, Users Turn to Workarounds Amid ‘Server Error’ Messages

Thousands of users of the well-known social network Reddit were left without access after a major outage of the website.…

November 22, 2024

Anne Hathaway Casted as ‘Verity’ in Colleen Hoover’s Book Adaptation

Anne Hathaway is slated to play the much expected film version of Colleen Hoover's best-selling book Verity in front of…

November 21, 2024

Gucci Set to Revolutionize Fashion Presentations with Unified Shows in 2025 under Sabato De Sarno’s Vision

Gucci is ready to change its presentation approach for 2025 in a radical action aimed to revolutionize the fashion industry.…

November 21, 2024

South Korea’s “Korea Discount”: Addressing the Governance Gap to Boost Market Value

As world investors wait for significant changes that might solve long-standing problems of governance and responsibility in South Korea's companies,…

November 21, 2024

This website uses cookies.

Read More