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Tensions rising in Myanmar as armored vehicles seen in Yangon
Monday marked the two weeks since the military ousted the elected government of leader Aung San Suu Kyi, as well as being the deadline on which her court-approved detention for a first formal charge leveled against her following the coup expires.
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An armoured vehicle drives next to the Sule Pagoda, following days of mass protests against the military coup, in Yangon on February 14, 2021.
(Agence France Presse/Thet HTOO )
T
ensions were rising in Myanmar on Monday after the military deployed armored vehicles to the streets of the country's largest city Yangon the previous night, while also putting in place an internet blackout overnight.
Monday marked the two weeks since the military ousted the elected government of leader Aung San Suu Kyi, as well as being the deadline on which her court-approved detention for a first formal charge leveled against her following the coup expires.
The military was girding itself for another day of mass protests calling for her release. Large demonstrations have been held across the country every day since Feb. 6.
A video was posted on social media showing military vehicles also carrying troops on the streets of the second-largest city Mandalay.
The US Embassy in Yangon on Sunday tweeted an advisory to US citizens to "shelter in place" during the 8 p.m.-4 a.m. curfew, citing "indications of military movements."
Telenor, a Norwegian telecom service provider that operates in Myanmar, said it received a directive from Myanmar authorities to shut internet access for a period. The US embassy alluded to the possibility of telecom interruptions between 1:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m.
Reuters reported that Myanmar residents reported an internet outage in the early hours of Monday after another day of mass protests against the military coup.
All four major telecommunications networks were inaccessible from about 1 a.m. (1830GMT), residents said.
European and US ambassadors to Myanmar issued a joint statement calling on the country's security forces to refrain from using violence against demonstrators.
Suu Kyi, who remains under house arrest in the capital Naypyitaw, is alleged to have illegally imported and used communications equipment.
The military has justified the coup as a response to alleged massive irregularities in last November's general election that saw Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy win another resounding victory against a military-backed opposition party.
