The Stream

Can Myanmar’s pro-democracy activists endure military pressure?

On Wednesday, August 3 at 19:30 GMT:
People across Myanmar are continuing to endure a state of emergency that has now been extended for six months by military coup leaders who are upping the ante against their opponents.

State media reported on August 1 that the ruling State Administration Council (SAC) approved a request by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing to maintain a state of emergency until February 2023 –  which would be two years since the military unseated the democratically-elected National League for Democracy government.

The extension, which was reported by state media on August 1, follows the execution of four anti-coup activists who were convicted behind closed doors under anti-terrorism laws. The men included Phyo Zeya Thaw, a musician and former legislator from Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) party, and lifetime pro-democracy campaigner Kyaw Min Yu, also known as Ko Jimmy.

The executions – the first to be carried out in Myanmar since the late 1980s – sparked international revulsion and were unanimously condemned by the United Nations Security Council. Activists now fear that scores of political prisoners on death row could soon face a similar fate and join at least 2,145 people killed by security forces since the coup.

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As growing numbers of civilians take up arms to resist the military in both urban and rural parts of Myanmar and military aircraft hit civilian areas, Min Aung Hlaing says a “lack of stability” is blocking efforts to implement a peace plan backed by member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Pro-democracy activists are meanwhile urging co-ordinated international action against Myanmar’s military, including further targeted sanctions.

In this episode of The Stream we’ll look at how pro-democracy voices are coping as Myanmar’s military puts them under greater pressure.

In this episode of The Stream, we are joined by:
Nathan Maung
Journalist

Thinzar Shunlei Yi, @thinzashunleiyi
Activist and advocacy co-ordinator

Khin Ohmar, @khinohmar
Chairperson Advisory Board, Progressive Voice
progressivevoicemyanmar.org