Military officials in Myanmar are ratcheting up measures to control growing protests in the nation following a coup against the country’s elected leaders.
Police fired a water cannon to beat back hundreds of demonstrators in the country’s capital city over the weekend, The Associated Press reported. The protesters are demanding military officials hand power back to leader Leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other National League for Democracy party officials.
“We do not want the military junta,” protester Daw Moe told the AP. “We never ever wanted this junta. Nobody wants it. All the people are ready to fight them.”
State media, which has also been taken over by military officials, referenced the demonstration for the first time on Monday and warned against future protests.
“Democracy can be destroyed if there is no discipline,” a statement from the Ministry of Information read. “We will have to take legal actions to prevent acts that are violating state stability, public safety and the rule of law.”
Suu Kyi was ousted nearly a week ago during overnight raids. She and scores of other National League for Democracy party lawmakers were arrested and are being held by military police.
Military leaders say they intend to retain control of the government for at least a year. The coup’s leaders say they are unhappy with the National League for Democracy for refusing to acknowledge their concerns about voter fraud and claim Suu Kyi is acting like a dictator.
President Biden, along with several other world leaders, has condemned the coup in Myanmar and threatened sanctions against the country if Suu Kyi is not restored as the leader of the government.