Streets of Myanmar’s biggest city Yangon were packed as protesters poured in early on Wednesday morning to voice their anger against the trial of their elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi that began “secretly” on Tuesday instead of Wednesday.
On Tuesday, at a hearing by video conference, the trial was adjourned for March 1.
This morning, protesters marched with red flags signalling their support for ousted leader, and carrying banners denouncing the military. Roads were blocked by sit down protests, and by drivers who held a “broken down” protest, parking their cars with bonnets open.
There were no signs of a strong military presence in Yangon on Wednesday morning.
About 1,000 university staff and students gathered outside the Secretariat building to demand the release of Suu Kyi.
Kyi Toe, a senior member of ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) party who has not been arrested, called for a mass protest to show “our force” to the military junta that has “destroyed the future of youth, the future of our country.”
The army seized power on February 1 alleging fraud in a November 8 election, an accusation rejected by the electoral commission. The military said its declaration of a state of emergency was in line with the constitution that paved the way for democratic reforms.
Suu Kyi was charged earlier this month with importing walkie-talkies. It emerged on Tuesday that she also faces a second charge of violating a national disaster law by breaching Covid regulations during last year’s election.
Her lawyer, Khin Maung Zaw, who has been barred from seeing her, told reporters that he could know of the beginning of trial after an unexpected video conference with the judge who told him that trial had been held with the ousted leader.
