Foreign policy will remain unchanged

The Junta leader yesterday said Myanmar's foreign policy would remain unchanged and countries would be encouraged to invest, as thousands of people took to the streets for a third day to protest against the coup that overthrew Aung San Suu Kyi's civilian government.

Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, in his first televised address since the coup a week ago, called on the public to prioritise facts and not feelings, and said an election would be held and power handed to the winning party.

The junta was different to previous military governments, he said, adding that suitable ministers were selected. He reiterated there were irregularities in last year's election that were ignored and said no organisation was above the law.

Hlaing made no mention of ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Meanwhile, martial law was declared in several cities nationwide. Local authorities announced by loudspeakers in the commercial city of Yangon and the second-largest city of Mandalay that the curfew would run from 8:00 pm to 4:00 am.

A similar declaration has been made in a township in Ayeyarwaddy further south. In other parts of the country, such as Myeik, the curfew runs from 9:00 pm to 3:00 am.

The announcement also prohibited the gathering of five or more people in public places and also banned anti-coup protests.

The junta has so far refrained from using deadly force against the demonstrations sweeping most of the country, but with pressure building riot police fired water cannon in an attempt to disperse thousands gathered in Naypyidaw yesterday.

The military last week detained Suu Kyi and dozens of other members of her National League for Democracy party, ending a decade of partial civilian rule and triggering international condemnation.

In the face of an increasingly bold wave of defiance, state broadcaster MRTV warned that opposition to the junta was unlawful and signalled a potential crackdown.

"Action must be taken according to the law with effective steps against offences which disturb, prevent and destroy the state's stability, public safety and the rule of law," said a statement read by an announcer on the channel.

Britain and the European Union yesterday requested that the United Nations Human Rights Council hold a special session in response to the ongoing political crisis Myanmar.

Tens of thousands of people overcame a nationwide internet blockade to rally over the weekend in the first major outpourings of opposition to the coup.

The movement built yesterday, with protests across the country and the start of a nationwide strike.

In Yangon, the nation's commercial capital, crowds spilt onto the city's main roads, immobilising traffic and dwarfing the previous day's rally.

"Down with military dictatorship" and "release Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and arrested people", protesters chanted, flashing the three-finger salute that has come to symbolise their movement as car horns were honked in support.

Calls for a nationwide strike gathered momentum over the weekend, with textile workers, civil servants and railway employees walking out of work in the commercial hub.

"This is a work day, but we aren't going to work even if our salary will be cut," one protester, 28-year-old garment factory worker Hnin Thazin, told AFP.

Similarly large crowds marched in Mandalay, the country's second-largest city, many clutching photos of Suu Kyi and waving the red flags of her party.

Police attempted to disperse thousands of people gathered on a highway in Naypyidaw, where the deposed leader is believed to be detained.

Huge rallies were also reported across much of the country, from Muse on the Chinese border to the southern cities of Dawei and Hpa-an.

STATE OF EMERGENCY

Myanmar's generals detained Suu Kyi, 75, and other top NLD leaders in pre-dawn raids last Monday, justifying the coup by claiming fraud in last November's elections, which the party won in a landslide.

The junta proclaimed a one-year state of emergency, promising to hold fresh elections after that without offering any precise timeframe.

US President Joe Biden has led global calls for the generals to relinquish power. Pope Francis yesterday called for the prompt release of imprisoned political leaders.

"The path to democracy undertaken in recent years was brusquely interrupted by last week's coup d'etat," he told a gathering of diplomats.

"This has led to the imprisonment of different political leaders, who I hope will be promptly released as a sign of encouragement for a sincere dialogue."

South East Asian lawmakers have also urged Myanmar's military to respect the people's rights to protest.

In a letter yesterday, a senior NLD member asked UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to "use all available means...to ensure a swift reversal of the coup".

A UN spokesman confirmed receipt of the letter, reports Reuters.

Guterres last week pledged to mobilize international pressure on the military to make sure the coup failed.