Myanmar students, doctors plan more protests against military rule


FILE PHOTO: Demonstrators hold placards during a rally against the military coup in front of Indonesian embassy in Yangon, Myanmar, February 24, 2021. REUTERS/Stringer

(Reuters) – Students and doctors in Myanmar plan to hold fresh protests on Thursday against military rule, as Washington expressed concern about Malaysia’s deportation of about 1,100 Myanmar nationals back to the strife-torn nation.

The army seized power this month after alleging fraud in a Nov. 8 election swept by Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD), detaining her and much of the party leadership.

There have been about three weeks of daily protests and on Thursday students pledged to rally in the commercial hub of Yangon, with demonstrators urged to bring text books promoting military education so they can destroy them at the protest.

Many professionals and government workers have also joined civil disobedience campaigns, with doctors due to hold a protest on Thursday as part of a so-called “white coat revolution.”

A rights group said as of Wednesday 728 people had been arrested, charged or sentenced in relation to the protests.

Myanmar’s security forces have shown more restraint compared with earlier crackdowns against people who pushed for democracy during almost half a century of direct military rule.

Military chief General Min Aung Hlaing has said this week authorities were following a democratic path in dealing with the protests and police were using minimal force, such as rubber bullets, state media reported.

Nonetheless, three protesters and one policeman have been killed in violence at rallies.