Myanmar doctors protest against coup that ousted Suu Kyi

Staff at scores of government hospitals across Myanmar stopped work on Wednesday or wore red ribbons in shows of protest against the military coup that ousted elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi and cut short a transition to democracy.

The civil disobedience campaign is one of the first signs of public opposition to the military takeover on Monday, which drew fresh condemnation from the United States and other Western countries at a G7 meeting.

The newly formed Myanmar Civil Disobedience Movement said in a statement doctors at 70 hospitals and medical departments in 30 towns had joined the protest. It accused the army of putting its interests above people’s hardships during a coronavirus outbreak that has killed more than 3,100 people in Myanmar, one of the highest tolls in Southeast Asia.

“We really cannot accept this,” said 49-year-old Myo Myo Mon, who was among the doctors who stopped work to protest.

“We will do this in a sustainable way, we will do it in a non-violent way … This is the route our state counselor desires,” she said, referring to Suu Kyi by her title.

Reuters was unable to reach the government for comment on the civil disobedience campaign which also won support from student and youth groups.

Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) party said in a statement that its offices had been raided in several regions and urged authorities to stop what it called unlawful acts after its victory in a Nov. 8 election.

Army chief Min Aung Hlaing seized power before the new parliament’s first sitting on Monday on the grounds of fraud in the election, which the electoral commission had said was fair…..read more

Source: Reuters