General strike in Myanmar on 1 year anniversary of coup

Strand Road, a normally busy thoroughfare in Yangon, is deserted on Tuesday as those opposing Myanmar's military junta organized a nationwide strike marking the one-year anniversary of a military coup that toppled the Southeast Asian country's democratically elected government.

The plaza in front of Mandalay's train station is empty on Tuesday, in what activists are calling a "silent strike." The junta had threatened to seize businesses that participated in the strike and warned protesters that rallies or displaying anti-military "propaganda" could result in prosecution under counterterrorism laws.

The threat of arrest did not deter some protesters. In Mandalay on Tuesday, protesters unfurled pro-democracy banners reading "who dares oppose the people's will." There were no reports of any violence.

An image of a pro-military march in the capital Naypyidaw on Tuesday provided by a state news service. The junta does enjoy pockets of support at home, but is facing broad international resistance. On Tuesday, the UN said the junta was "committing murder, torture and abductions." On Monday, the US, Canada and the UK sanctioned junta-linked individuals to "promote accountability for violence."

Myanmar's civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy (NLD) were ousted in the coup. Suu Kyi was arrested and faces an array of charges that could carry a sentence of over 150 years. The military claims it took power a year ago over unfounded allegations of voter fraud during the 2020 election. Critics say the military wants to ensure Suu Kyi never returns to politics.

Over the past year, protesters have organized acts of non-violent "civil disobedience" calling for public servants, business owners and service workers to strike. The last nationwide strike was in December, and towns and cities were emptied across Myanmar, as seen here in front of Yangon's famous Shwedagon Pagoda.

Since the coup, Myanmar has plunged into violence as the military has tried to quash any resistance to its rule. What began as nonviolent demonstrations, quickly turned deadly as the army began to shoot protesters in the streets. In this image from a deadly week of protests in March 2021, a man hides behind a barricade in Yangon and hurls a flaming object at security forces.

Local human rights groups estimate that over 1,500 civilians have been killed resisting military rule in Myanmar. The UN on Tuesday said that it was looking into reports of civilian deaths. Seen here is the funeral of a protester who was killed on February 21, 2021, and was listed as the first confirmed death.