YANGON – Protesters against Myanmar’s military coup returned Friday to the streets of downtown Yangon, defiantly chanting their opposition to the army’s seizure of power as the junta chief prepared to attend a meeting of Southeast Asian leaders on the country’s crisis.
Such open demonstrations in the center of Myanmar’s largest city all but stopped weeks ago, as the deadly crackdown on dissent by the security forces made it too dangerous.
Yangon is where the first major demonstrations were held against the February coup that ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.
The protests launched a nationwide Civil Disobedience Movement that even the use of lethal force has failed to cow. Daily crackdowns by police and soldiers have killed