Two people were killed and 38 injured on Tuesday in Myanmar in a grenade attack against a demonstration in support of the junta, according to an official source, on the day of the first anniversary of the coming to power of the military, against which took place numerous demonstrations on Myanmar territory.
No group claimed responsibility for the attack in Tachilek, a city in the east of the country, while elsewhere many Myanmarese defied the orders of the military by taking part in a silent strike or by showing their anger by applause.
The coup of 1er February 2021, having deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi, 76, ended a decade of democratic transition in this Southeast Asian country that has since been plunged into violence.
Massive applause
At 4 p.m. (9:30 a.m. GMT), massive applause rang out across Yangon, the economic capital, to mark the end of a “silent strike” against the coup, according to AFP correspondents on the spot. The town remained deserted for most of the day, with many shops keeping their doors closed.
The call for a silent strike, launched by the opponents, was widely followed throughout the country, from Shan State (east) to Kachin State (north) via Mandalay (center), and applause supported resounded in several cities to mark the end of the movement, noted AFP journalists.
“Silence is the loudest cry we can raise against the soldiers and their bloody repression,” wrote an opponent on Twitter. Photos of Myanmar people staying at home and saluting with three fingers as a sign of resistance have been flooding in on social media. Authorities had warned such actions could amount to high treason, a crime punishable by years of imprisonment. In Yangon, ten people were arrested, according to local media.
Events
Demonstrations in favor of the military in unspecified regions took place, according to undated videos provided by the authorities. Supporters of the regime waved the national flag and denounced the “People’s Defense Forces”, these citizen militias which regularly carry out guerrilla operations against the military.
In Tachilek, the attack was perpetrated with the help of two grenades thrown at midday in the direction of a crowd returning from a rally in support of the junta, a force official told AFP. security who requested anonymity.
For his part, the head of the ruling military, Min Aung Hlaing, promised to organize “free and fair” elections. […] as soon as the situation is peaceful and stabilized”.
Since the coup against Aung San Suu Kyi, more than 1,500 civilians have been killed and nearly 9,000 are detained in regime jails, according to a local observatory which denounces cases of rape, torture and extrajudicial executions .
Faced with this spiral of violence, the international community increased pressure on the generals on Monday.
The UN said it was investigating crimes against humanity.
“International justice has a very long memory,” warned Nicholas Koumjian, head of the UN Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar.
The United States, for its part, has imposed, in coordination with the United Kingdom and Canada, new financial sanctions, targeting in particular the highest Myanmar judicial officials.
not forgotten
“As long as the regime robs the people of Myanmar of their democratic voice, we will make the military and their supporters pay for it,” said US President Joe Biden. I say to the Burmese people: we have not forgotten your fight. »
Since the putsch, Aung San Suu Kyi has been under house arrest in an undisclosed location. The Nobel Peace Prize laureate is facing a multitude of charges (violation of a state secrets law dating from the colonial era, electoral fraud, sedition, incitement to public disorder, corruption, etc. .).
On Monday, she was charged again, this time accused of having pressured the electoral commission during the 2020 legislative elections, massively won by her party and since canceled by the junta.
Already sentenced to six years in prison, she faces decades of detention at the end of her trial.
Chaos
Myanmar has plunged into chaos for the past twelve months. The rebellion, led by citizen militias and ethnic factions, is intensifying, prompting the junta to further tighten repression. This violence has already caused the displacement of several hundred thousand people.
The UN envoy for Myanmar, Noeleen Heyzer, called for a “humanitarian meeting” to be held soon with “most of the parties” to the conflict.
On Tuesday, a UN spokesman said the organization needed $826 million to meet the humanitarian needs of millions of Myanmar people, the largest ever appeal for funds for Myanmar.