Tens of Thousands Protest Burma Coup Despite Internet Ban

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Burma’s (also known as Myanmar) cities on Saturday to denounce this week’s coup and demand the release of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi despite a blockade on the internet by the junta. In an upwelling of anger in the country’s largest city, Yangon, protesters chanted, “Military dictator, fail, fail; Democracy, win, win” and held banners reading “Against military dictatorship.” Bystanders offered them food and water. Late in the evening, a rumour of Suu Kyi’s release—quickly denied by her lawyer—triggered noisy street celebrations. Cheering and letting off firecrackers, residents said the message was shared by the military-run media Myawaddy. But Suu Kyi’s lawyer Khin Maung Zaw denied that the 75-year-old leader had been freed and told Reuters she was still in detention. Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) won Nov. 8 elections in a landslide, a result the generals …

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