Myanmar pro-democracy groups staged protests in Japan, Norway, France, Germany, Australia and the U.S. on Saturday to mark the fourth anniversary of the military coup in Myanmar.
“We have been fighting this battle for four years. We request you to help us in recognizing our perseverance and resilience,” Wut Hmon, the general secretary for the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (CRPH) Support Group Norway told DVB.
Around 100 people led by the CRPH Support Group Norway gathered in front of the Norwegian parliament, in Oslo, on Feb. 1.
They called on Norway and the E.U. to assist the pro-democracy movement in Myanmar and cut off all ties to the military regime, which seized power after the coup on Feb. 1, 2021.
Officials from the ruling Labour Party, Norwegian Burma Committee and Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO) joined the protest.
Hundreds of people staged Myanmar pro-democracy rallies across Japan, in Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Kobe, Hiroshima and Hokkaido, on Saturday. The Tokyo protest was held outside of the Embassy of Myanmar.
“Even though we are overseas, we are standing together with people in Burma in fighting against the military regime. We want to show the Japanese people and international community that we are not staying calm by hosting these protests,” Thiri Thitsa, a Myanmar citizen living in Tokyo, told DVB.
Aung Soe Moe, a former embassy officer who joined the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) after the 2021 coup, agreed with Thiri Thitsa and said he believed that the coup was a failure.
Some protestors held signs in Burmese and Japanese languages, which stated: “Stop immediately the deadliest airstrikes” and demanded the immediate release of State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, President Win Myint and all other political prisoners held by the regime in Myanmar.
“The military launches airstrikes and arson attacks as we speak. It is nonsense to talk about the peace process without guarantees on taking responsibility if the military continuously commits these inhumane acts,” Yin Aye, the Save Myanmar USA spokesperson, told DVB.
In Washington D.C. the Myanmar community held demonstrations in front of the Burma Embassy and Chinese Ambassador’s residence on Feb. 1. They asked embassy officers to raise a white flag and join the people in resisting the Myanmar military and its regime.
The Chin Community of U.S.A-D.C. Area also joined the protests. In New York, the New York City Burmese Community (NYCBC) held a demonstration to raise awareness about the fourth anniversary of the Myanmar military coup at Times Square on Feb. 1.
