The Burmese took to the streets Thursday February 11 for a sixth consecutive day against the coup that toppled Aung San Suu Kyi.
The fear of reprisals is on everyone's mind, two days after the use of force by the police which left several injured, two of them in serious condition.
A young woman was shot in the head and her situation is critical.
More than 200 people, including members of the National League for Democracy (LND), Aung San Suu Kyi's party, have been arrested since the February 1 putsch, according to an NGO helping political prisoners.
Despite this, demonstrators began to gather Thursday morning to demand the release of those detained, the end of the dictatorship and the abolition of the constitution of 2008, very favorable to the army.
"Do not go to the office!" Chanted a group of protesters outside the central bank of Burma in Yangon, the economic capital, responding to calls for "civil disobedience" launched in the early hours following the coup. State.
"We will demonstrate until Aung San Suu Kyi (ex-de facto head of civilian government) and Win Myint (ex-president of the Republic) are released," a bank employee told AFP.
Gatherings were held in several other cities of the country, as in Mandalay (center).
"Immediate release"
The escalation of violence against protesters has been condemned internationally.
US President Joe Biden announced on Wednesday that his administration was reducing Burmese generals' access to $ 1 billion in funds in the United States and would unveil new sanctions within the week.
"I once again call on the military to immediately release all democratically elected political leaders and activists," Joe Biden added.
Burma is his first major diplomatic dossier since his election.
The European Union could also take new sanctions, warned Josep Borrell, head of European diplomacy.
They could target army chief Min Aung Hlaing, author of the putsch, and other generals.
They have already been the subject of retaliatory measures since the military abuses against the Rohingya Muslim minority in 2017.
Powerful military-controlled conglomerates could also be targeted, sanctions against them having been lifted during the fragile 10-year democratic parenthesis, abruptly closed by the coup.
The UN Human Rights Council will hold a special session on the events on Friday.
The position of Beijing and Moscow, traditional supporters of the Burmese army at the United Nations, will be closely scrutinized.
With AFP
The summary of the week
France 24 invites you to come back to the news that marked the week
I subscribe
Take international news everywhere with you!
Download the France 24 application
google-play-badge_FR