Hundreds of Thousands Take to the Streets... Large-Scale Anti-Military Protests in Myanmar

'22222' Uprising... Largest Scale Since Military Coup
US State Department "Sanctions on 2 Individuals Involved in Coup"

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suhwan] Nationwide protests condemning the military junta in Myanmar have erupted on the largest scale since the coup, with hundreds of thousands of citizens flooding the streets.

According to foreign media including the AP on the 22nd (local time), street protests condemning the military junta took place across Myanmar, including in Yangon, the country’s largest city, and Naypyidaw, the capital. A protester said, "If military dictatorship continues, we will all have no choice but to live as slaves."

Also known as the ‘22222 Uprising,’ this protest is reported to be the largest since the coup earlier this month. In Naypyidaw, where the military command headquarters is located, police were seen attempting to disperse the protesters using water cannons.

The name 22222 is a reference to the large-scale pro-democracy protests on August 8, 1988, known as the ‘8888 Uprising,’ and it is interpreted as a declaration to continue nonviolent resistance against the military junta, similar to the 1988 protests.

Alongside the street protests, a nationwide general strike was also held. All stores of Myanmar’s largest retailer ‘City Mart’ and the fast-food chain 'KFC' suspended operations for the day, and Southeast Asia’s largest food delivery service 'Grab' also halted its delivery services.

Before the protests, the military junta attempted to prevent the gathering of protesters by closing major downtown roads. In a statement released through state-run media the day before, they warned, "If you participate in the protests, casualties may occur," and accused the protesters of inciting violence among citizens.

Meanwhile, the U.S. government imposed sanctions on two individuals involved in the Myanmar military coup on the same day. The individuals are military generals Momin Tun and Maung Maung Cho. This follows sanctions on 10 military officials, including Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing, announced on the 11th. The U.S. Treasury Department stated in a release, "The sanctions are in response to the Myanmar authorities’ killing of peaceful protesters."

The Myanmar military staged the coup on the 1st, claiming that despite serious fraud in last November’s general election, the civilian government failed to properly investigate it.

Protests against the military coup have continued for 23 days as of this day. During large-scale protests over the past weekend, the Myanmar military opened indiscriminate fire, resulting in at least four civilian deaths and over 100 injuries, continuing the bloodshed.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.