Biggest Protests In Myanmar Since 2007 Draw Tens Of Thousands

Thousands of people marched for a second day in Myanmar’s biggest city on Sunday to protest against the military junta’s coup and detention of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi last week. 

 The protests, which took place despite an internet blackout and restrictions on phone lines, were the biggest demonstrations in the country since the 2007 Buddhist monk-led Saffron Revolution. 

 Crowds in Yangon, the commercial capital, carried red balloons, the colour representing Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy Party (NLD), and chanted, “We don’t want military dictatorship! We want democracy!” 

 Myanmar’s military seized power in the early hours of Monday, bringing the Southeast Asian nation’s troubled democratic transition to a sudden halt and drawing international outrage. 

 On Saturday, tens of thousands took to the streets in the first mass protests since the coup.

On Sunday morning, massive crowds from all corners of Yangon converged on Hledan township, some walking through stalled traffic, and marched under bright sunshine in the middle of the road.

 They waved NLD flags and gestured with the three-finger salute that has become a symbol of protest against the coup. 

Drivers honked their horns and passengers held up photos of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Suu Kyi.

 The scenes broadcast on Facebook were some of the few that have come out of the country since the junta shut down the internet and restricted phone lines on Saturday. Speaking as he filmed the streets, the broadcaster said getting information out might help keep the protesters safe.