New Telegraph

Myanmar coup: Police use water cannon as thousands strike

 

Police in Myanmar’s capital Nay Pyi Taw have used water cannon on workers conducting a nationwide strike against a military coup.
Thousands are taking part in a third day of street protests, calling for the release of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi and for democracy to be restored.
It comes a day after Myanmar saw its largest protest in more than a decade, reports the BBC.
Last week the military seized power after claiming without evidence that an earlier election was fraudulent.
They also declared a year-long state of emergency in Myanmar, also known as Burma, and power has been handed over to commander-in-chief Min Aung Hlaing.
Ms Suu Kyi and senior leaders of her National League for Democracy Party (NLD), including President Win Myint, have been put under house arrest.
‘We aren’t going to work’
By Monday morning, tens of thousands of people had gathered in Nay Pyi Taw for the strike, with other cities such as Mandalay and Yangon also reporting significant numbers, according to BBC Burmese.
The protesters include teachers, lawyers, bank officers and government workers. About a thousand teachers have been marching from a township in Yangon towards the Sule Pagoda in the heart of Myanmar’s main city.
In Nay Pyi Taw, police used water cannon on protesters in an attempt to disperse them, and there were reports of a few injuries.
One online video of the incident appears to show protesters rubbing their eyes and helping one another after being soaked.
Kyaw Zeyar Oo, who took the video, told the BBC that two water cannon vehicles sprayed protesters with “no prior warning” while “the crowd was peacefully protesting in front of [the police]”.
He added that by Monday afternoon, the situation was “totally calm” as crowds continued to gather, but the water cannon vehicles were still present.
There were no other immediate reports of violence.
“This is a work day, but we aren’t going to work even if our salary will be cut,” one protester, 28-year-old garment factory worker, Hnin Thazin, told news agency AFP.

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