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Myanmar military tightens grip as protests enter fifth day

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Agence France-Presse

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/reuters/02/10/20210210-myanmar-protest-rtr.jpg?ext=.jpg"/><figcaption>People rally against the military coup and to demand the release of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi, in Yangon, Myanmar, Feb. 9, 2021.<em> Reuters</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>YANGON - Myanmar&#x27;s military tightened their post-coup grip on power, stepping up a campaign of intimidation against the ousted civilian leadership while pushing harsher tactics as a fifth consecutive day of nationwide demonstrations began on Wednesday.</p><p>Soldiers raided and ransacked the headquarters of detained leader Aung San Suu Kyi&#x27;s party on Tuesday night, after police shot water cannon, tear gas and rubber bullets in a sudden escalation of force against the protests sweeping the country.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/02/09/21/myanmar-protesters-reach-hundreds-of-thousands-warning-shots-fired">Myanmar protesters reach hundreds of thousands; warning shots fired</a></li></ul><p>A doctor in Naypyidaw also confirmed the use of live rounds that left 2 people critically injured, but footage showed protesters in the capital were undeterred, returning to a blockade on a major highway on Wednesday morning. </p><p>Condemning the use of force, United Nations special rapporteur Tom Andrews said the police fire had injured a young woman, images of whom have spread like wildfire online alongside expressions of grief and fury.</p><p>&quot;They can shoot a young woman but they can&#x27;t steal the hope &amp; resolve of a determined people,&quot; the human rights envoy wrote on Wednesday. &quot;The world stands in solidarity with the protesters of Myanmar.&quot;</p><p>The United States, which has led international condemnation of the army takeover, on Tuesday renewed its call for freedom of expression in Myanmar -- and for the generals to step down.</p><p>&quot;We repeat our calls for the military to relinquish power, restore democratically elected government (and) release those detained,&quot; State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters.</p><p>In Mandalay, the country&#x27;s cultural capital and the seat of Myanmar&#x27;s pre-colonial monarchy, witnesses saw security forces fire tear gas directly at protesters waving the red flags of Suu Kyi&#x27;s National League for Democracy (NLD) party. </p><p>State media claimed that the crowd had used &quot;obscene language&quot; and thrown objects at police, injuring 4 officers, in its first direct mention of the street protests since they began on the weekend.</p><p>&quot;Therefore, the police members dispersed in accordance with the methods and laws,&quot; the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper reported, without mentioning other police confrontations elsewhere in the country.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/multimedia/photo/02/10/21/protests-continue-in-myanmar">Protests continue in Myanmar</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/02/10/21/worse-than-my-ex-myanmars-very-online-youth-take-on-the-junta">&#x27;Worse than my ex&#x27;: Myanmar&#x27;s very online youth take on the junta</a></li></ul><p>Hundreds of protesters had returned to the streets of Yangon on Wednesday morning, where the day before a large crowd faced off against water cannon and a phalanx of riot police near Suu Kyi&#x27;s residence.</p><p>Though there were no reported clashes with authorities in the commercial hub on Tuesday, university student Khin Nyein Wai said she was still afraid.</p><p>&quot;I still came out as I do not like the military dictatorship,&quot; she told AFP. &quot;This is for our future.&quot;</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PhOZD5paPZc?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div><div><strong>&#x27;RESPECT THE VOTE&#x27;</strong></div><p>The military justified last week&#x27;s power grab by claiming widespread voter fraud in the November polls, which saw a landslide for Suu Kyi and her party.</p><p>It quickly moved to stack courts and political offices with loyalists.</p><p>In the 10 days since army chief Min Aung Hlaing ousted the Nobel laureate from power and ended a decade of civilian rule, Myanmar has been roiled by a burgeoning civil disobedience campaign and massive street protests.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/02/01/21/myanmars-aung-san-suu-kyi-other-senior-figures-detained-in-late-night-raid">Myanmar military seizes power, detains elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/02/02/21/myanmar-long-arm-of-military-rule">Myanmar: Long arm of military rule</a></li></ul><p>Medical staff, air traffic controllers and teachers have staged strikes, fronted for work while wearing red ribbons on their uniforms or posed for photos while brandishing the 3-finger salute adopted by the anti-coup movement.</p><p>Protesters on the streets have called for the release of Suu Kyi -- who has not been publicly seen since she and other top political leaders were detained -- and for the generals to respect the results of the last election. </p><p>By Tuesday a ban on gatherings and a nighttime curfew was in effect in the 3 biggest cities of Yangon, Mandalay and Naypyidaw, along with various other towns.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/02/08/21/martial-law-declared-in-parts-of-myanmar-as-rallies-heap-pressure-on-coup-leaders">Martial law declared in parts of Myanmar as rallies heap pressure on coup leaders</a></li></ul><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XDDMWp6cqj8?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div><div><strong>&#x27;DISPROPORTIONATE FORCE&#x27;</strong></div><p>The United Nations voiced &quot;strong concern&quot; over Tuesday&#x27;s violence. </p><p>&quot;The use of disproportionate force against demonstrators is unacceptable,&quot; said Ola Almgren, the UN resident coordinator in Myanmar.</p><p>European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell warned the bloc could impose fresh sanctions on Myanmar&#x27;s military, but said any measures should be targeted to avoid hitting the wider population. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abhttps//www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rf3014Xs_Jghttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rf3014Xs_Jghttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rf3014Xs_Jgs-cbn.com/overseas/02/09/21/new-zealand-suspends-ties-with-myanmar-to-ban-visits-from-military-leaders">New Zealand suspends ties with Myanmar; to ban visits from military leaders</a></li></ul><p>New Zealand became the first country taking action to isolate the junta on the same day when it announced the suspension of high-level military and political contacts with Myanmar.</p><p>The UN Human Rights Council said it would hold a special session on Friday to discuss the crisis.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Rf3014Xs_Jg?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

<p>Myanmar's military tightened their post-coup grip on power, stepping up a campaign of intimidation against the ousted civilian leadership while pushing harsher tactics as a fifth consecutive day of nationwide demonstrations began on Wednesday.</p>

Myanmar's military tightened their post-coup grip on power, stepping up a campaign of intimidation against the ousted civilian leadership while pushing harsher tactics as a fifth consecutive day of nationwide demonstrations began on Wednesday.