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Protesters take to streets in Myanmar to oppose military coup

Myanmar protests
Posted at 5:28 AM, Feb 05, 2021
and last updated 2021-02-05 07:28:52-05

YANGON, Myanmar — Hundreds of students and teachers have taken to Myanmar’s streets to demand the military hand power back to elected politicians, as resistance to a coup swelled with demonstrations in several parts of the country.

In the largest protests since the takeover, protesters at two universities on Friday flashed a three-fingered salute, a sign of resistance that they adopted from anti-government protesters in neighboring Thailand.

They chanted “Long live Mother Suu” — a reference to ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Resistance has been gathering steam since the military declared Monday that it would take power for one year — a shocking setback for the Southeast Asian country that had been making significant, if uneven progress, toward democracy after decades of military rule.