Protests in Myanmar over the military coup that removed Aung San Suu Kyi’s government from power have grown in recent days despite official efforts to make them difficult or even illegal. Here’s a look at who organizes the protests and the obstacles they face:
IS IT ALLOWED TO PROTEST?
It was a gray area for many days after the February 1 coup, which also included the declaration of a state of emergency. But with protests mounting and spreading in recent days, the military on Monday issued decrees effectively banning peaceful public protests in the country’s two largest cities.
Concentrations and gatherings of more than five people, along with motorized processions, are banned and a curfew has been imposed from 8pm to 4am for areas of Yangon and Mandalay, where thousands of people have demonstrated since Saturday. .
Restrictions have raised concerns about the potential for violent repression.
WHO LEADS THE PROTESTS?
For the most part, the protests have grown organically.
“This movement has no leader: people take to the streets in their own way and at will,” said Thinzar Shunlei Yi, a prominent activist.
Activist groups, professional working groups, unions and individuals in Myanmar have opposed the coup, as has Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party.
Shortly after returning to direct military rule – which Myanmar lived for five decades until 2012 – a Facebook page titled “Civil Disobedience Movement” began airing peaceful protests. The page now has over 230,000 followers and the hashtags associated with it are widely used by Twitter users in Myanmar.
Health workers also launched a protest campaign, wearing red ribbons, placards and urging other medical staff not to work at state health facilities.
Street protests over the weekend were heavily attended by unions, student groups and other groups representing professions as diverse as park rangers and book printers.
Yangon residents have expressed their dissent by beating pots and pans together in the city at night.
WHAT ARE THE OBSTACLES?
One of the biggest challenges for protesters has been attempts by the military to block communications.
Authorities went first behind Facebook (which has more than 22 million users in Myanmar, or 40% of the population), but people simply moved to other platforms like Twitter.
Copies of security protocol information sheets, some of them from Hong Kong, were made with instructions on how to encrypt communications and how to stay secure during protests.
Over the weekend, the military temporarily cut off Internet access and some telephone services. Protesters quickly adapted, some even used phones registered in neighboring Thailand.
“Even when the Internet was completely cut off on Saturday for 24 hours, people were able to communicate in Myanmar by phone and SMS,” said Clare Hammond, an advocate for global rights group Global Witness.
For some who have no telephone service or Internet access during blackouts, word of mouth and the simple historical precedent have led them to places of protest, many of which are the same as in previous revolts against the military government.
WILL THE PROTESTS CONTINUE?
So far, protesters seem unperturbed, even with the new restrictions on demonstrations.
However, some are concerned that the military is preparing the ground for violent repression such as those that ended the protest movements in 2007 and 1988.
Linda Lakhdhir, a legal adviser to Human Rights Watch, said the military could try to use the violation of military decrees, as well as other laws that already existed, as justification for repression.
“They may be terrible, abusive and draconian laws, but the military will justify (use) them to comply with the law,” he said.
Authorities fired water cannons and rubber bullets at some protests Tuesday, sparking tensions.