Nearly 300 members of Myanmar's parliament issued a joint statement Saturday rejecting the military junta that seized power in a coup earlier this week.
Lawmakers asserted that they alone are representatives of the people in a video posted on Facebook, according to news reports.
A Myanmar surgeon’s daughter was born on Monday, the day of the coup. He greeted his newborn and then led medical workers in a civil disobedience campaign. “If we acquiesce, it’s like we are in the morgue,” he said. https://t.co/O2iToGjLDA
— New York Times World (@nytimesworld) February 7, 2021
They vowed to continue to struggle for democracy on behalf of constituents, while anti-coup protests continued to roil the southeast Asian country after the army took power Feb. 1.
Myanmar approves Sputnik V vaccine
Myanmar approved the Sputnik V vaccine developed by Russia for the coronavirus, according to Russian media.
It noted that the approval for the vaccine was given by the Chief of General Staff Min Aung Hlaing, who took control of the administration of the country.
Myanmar's military, officially known as the Tatmadaw, declared a state of emergency Monday, hours after detaining President Win Myint, de facto leader, and State Counselor Suu Kyi and other senior members of her NLD party.
Thousands are rallying against the #Myanmar coup in Yangon in the second day of demonstrations, as an internet blackout failed to quash outrage over the military’s power grab from elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi.https://t.co/3cY9TMjmDu
— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) February 7, 2021
Suu Kyi served from 2016 to 2021 following a long struggle for democracy in the nation that earned her a Nobel Peace Prize in 1991. But her silence regarding the massacre of Rohingya Muslims and defense of the military's genocide at the international court drew harsh criticism across the globe.
The coup took place hours before the first session of the country's new parliament was set to convene following elections last November in which Suu Kyi's party made sweeping gains.
The military claimed the coup was staged due to "election fraud,” which it said resulted in the dominance of the ruling party in parliament.
This article has been adapted from its original source.
