Staffers of the University Hospital flash the three-finger protest gesture while holding signs that read: “Protect democracy” and “Reject the military coup, Free our president, Respect our votes” in Yangon, Myanmar. At least three persons have been killed during massive protests that sprung in Myanmar in the first two weeks after the military held a coup last Feb. 1. Declaring a state of emergency for a period of one year, the military arrested democracy icon Ang San Suu Kyi and her government, accusing them of not investigating voter fraud allegations in recent elections. Suu Kyi’s party won the elections by a landslide. The junta, led by army chief Min Aung Hlaing, removed 24 ministers and deputies. The United Nations Security Council called for the release of Suu Kyi and others detained by the military. Newly-elected United States Pres. Joe Biden, in his first foreign policy address, urged Myanmar’s military to relinquish power and release officials and activists, warning of economic sanctions as a result of the coup. On social media, the military blocked Twitter and Instagram, where protesters shared information. According to an AP report, the coup “ended 10 years of new freedoms and quasi-civilian rule in Myanmar, which the Obama administration held up as a beacon of nascent democracy.” (AP Photo)
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