New Myanmar protests met with force as large numbers return to the streets

A man runs past a road barricade and burning debris Monday, March 22, 2021, in Mandalay, Myanmar. The BBC said Monday that a journalist from its Burmese-language service was released by authorities in Myanmar but gave no details, as protesters in the Southeast Asian nation continued their broad civil disobedience movement against last month’s military coup. (AP Photo)

Protesters in Myanmar have returned to the streets in large numbers, a day after staging a “silence strike” in which people were urged to stay home and businesses to close for the day.

Security forces sought to break up some of the protests by force. Social media accounts and local news outlets reported violent attacks on demonstrators in Hpa-an, the capital of Karen state, as well as Shan state’s capital of Taunggyi and Mon state capital Mawlamyine.