Protesters were out for a third day in Yangon to demand the release of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The generals had already tried to justify their takeover on the grounds of election fraud - rejected by the election committee - and had promised a new vote. "We request government staff from all departments not to attend work from Monday," said activist Min Ko Naing, a veteran of the 1988 demonstrations that brought Suu Kyi to prominence. The daughter of the former British colony's independence hero Aung San, Suu Kyi remains hugely popular at home despite damage to her international reputation over the plight of the Muslim Rohingya minority. The United Nations Security Council has called for the release of Suu Kyi and other detainees.

Source: Otago Daily Times February 09, 2021 01:18 UTC