Streets were deserted and shops abandoned across many of Myanmar’s towns and cities on Monday, as the public defied threats by the military junta and stayed at home in a “silent strike” on the first anniversary of the country’s coup. Images posted on social media showed usually congested roads with no traffic and stores shuttered. In a photograph shared by Khit Thit Media, the usually busy Sule Pagoda road in downtown Yangon was completely empty. In Mandalay, the second-largest city, a normally bustling market had virtually no customers.
The military, which has struggled to control widespread opposition to its rule, had threatened charges of sedition or terrorism against anyone who participated in the stay-at-home protest. Business owners had also been told their properties would be seized if they participated. The military ousted the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi on February 1 2021, and has inflicted deadly violence and terror in an attempt to crush opposition. Since the coup, more than 1,500 people have been killed, and at least 11,838 people have been arrested in military crackdowns, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners. Detainees have been subjected to torture and mistreatment, including beatings, gender-based violence and prolonged stress positions, according to research by Human Rights Watch.
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