Hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets of Myanmar’s capital Friday in the largest protests since Monday’s military coup, as the military expanded its dragnet against ousted officials.Protestors at Myanmar University and Yangon University, both in the city of Yangon, demanded that the military hand power back to Myanmar’s elected officials.They chanted “Long live Mother Suu,” a reference to deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi, and “We don’t want military dictatorship.” Suu Kyi was detained Monday and faces charges of illegally importing and using six unregistered walkie-talkie radios found in a search of her home in the capital of Naypyidaw.The Myanmar military said its state of emergency, set to last one year, was necessary because the government had not acted on claims of voter fraud in November elections that were overwhelmingly won by Suu Kyi’s NLD party. The coup has been condemned by U.S. President Joe Biden and other world leaders, who called for the elected government to be restored to power.Myanmar, also known as Burma, has long struggled between civilian and military rule but until the coup had been enjoying a hopeful transition to democracy.A British colony until 1948, Myanmar was ruled by military-dictators from 1962 to 2010.
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