Silent strike empties streets in Myanmar on anniversary of coup

By Dilip -

Streets were deserted and shops abandoned across many of Myanmar’s towns and cities on Monday, as the public defied threats by the military junta and stayed at home in a “silent strike” on the first anniversary of the country’s coup. Images posted on social media showed usually congested roads with no traffic and stores shuttered. In a photograph shared by Khit Thit Media, the usually busy Sule Pagoda road in downtown Yangon was completely empty. In Mandalay, the second largest city, a normally bustling market had virtually no customers.

Images posted online showed similar scenes across the country: from Myitkyina and Namati in Kachin, Myanmar’s northernmost state, to Dawei and Myeik in Tanintharyi region in the south of the country. The military, which has struggled to control widespread opposition to its rule, had threatened charges of sedition or terrorism against anyone who participated in the stay-at-home protest. Business owners had also been told their properties would be seized if they participated….

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2022/feb/01/silent-strike-empties-streets-in-myanmar-on-anniversary-of-coup


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