a dangerous radioactive missing capsule has been found

AFP

Burma is marking the second anniversary of the coup with the possible postponement of elections

Empty streets and sporadic demonstrations: Pro-democracy supporters in Burma marked the second anniversary of the coup with a black stone on Wednesday, amid a possible postponement of elections. extending the state of emergency and postponing elections promised for the summer. Junta leader Min Aung Hlaing had previously stated that elections could only be held in “peaceful and stable” conditions in the country. a wave of sanctions against the generals, but previous rounds have shown little sign of turning the junta off course. The central streets of Yangon, the economic capital, were largely deserted by late morning after the activists called. to the residents of the country to close their businesses and stay indoors. r 10:00am (03:30 GMT) to 4:00pm – Silent Holiday – The roads leading to the famous Shwedagon Pagoda, a Buddhist shrine that dominates the skyline and is usually packed with worshippers, were mostly empty. Other roads in the city were empty and security measures were tightened. Mandalay’s second city is also quiet, one resident told AFP: “There are a few people walking here and there in the neighbourhoods, but there is almost no activity on the main roads.” he said that he requested anonymity. Local media images show the empty streets of the eastern city of Mowlamyina. A military supporter of “patriots, army enthusiasts, monks and the public” was due to march through the streets of Yangon. The US Embassy warned against “increasing activities and violence against the regime”. Around 300 protesters gathered outside the Burmese embassy in Bangkok, Thailand, some chanting anti-military slogans and holding up portraits of jailed former leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The junta’s crackdown was supposed to end at the end of January, after which the government had to prepare a schedule for new elections, according to the Constitution. The army was supposed to announce on Wednesday that it was preparing for those elections. elections. But on Tuesday, the National Defense and Security Council, made up of members of the junta, met to discuss the state of the nation and concluded that the country is “not yet back to normal.” The junta blamed its opponents in a statement. , including the People’s Defense Forces (PDF) and a shadow government led by MPs from Aung San Suu Kyi’s party are trying to seize power “through rebellion and violence.” The “necessary announcement” will be issued on Wednesday, the document added, without elaborating on the members of the junta and the institutions it supports. – ‘Barbaric Campaign’ – Former colonial power Britain has added new sanctions on companies that supply aviation fuel to the military and orchestrated airstrikes in a bid to keep its “barbaric campaign authorized” US sanctions also last week gave political parties two months to re-register also targets the election commission approved by the issuing junta. It raises the risk of violent clashes between armed forces and rebel militias preventing residents from voting, or repression of those who vote. On Tuesday, the United Nations special envoy warned that the elections would “fuel greater violence, prolong the conflict and make it more difficult to return to democracy and stability”. According to a local watchdog group, more than 2,900 people have been killed and more than 18,000 arrested in the military’s crackdown on dissent since the takeover. Junta recently completed the series. Suu Kyi, who jailed the Nobel laureate for a total of 33 years in closed courts against Aung San, has been called a fraud by rights groups: “Our main wish for 2023 is freedom and return home.” The scene of regular clashes between the army and anti-coup fighters told AFP. bur/pdw /del/mlb/tmt/pz