Amid Myanmar’s #CivilDisobedience movement, the thunder of pots and pans fill the night
- Days after a military coup, all seems normal in Yangon during the day, but residents are making their resistance against the military heard at dinnertime
- Meanwhile, restaurants are boycotting military-backed businesses, doctors have stopped working and some drivers are honking their cars to express support for ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi
A fruit seller in downtown Yangon says business has not been affected, and he has continued to open his shop at the market, earning some 30,000 kyat (US$21) from 6am to 7pm.
While there were long queues at banks earlier in the week, a 22-year-old accountant says the initial chaos has melted away and financial services are now operating as usual.
But come nightfall, anger against the powerful Tatmadaw rears its head, as people wage a mass civil disobedience campaign against the military government by banging on pots and pans at 8pm to voice their rejection of the takeover.
Amid the clanging, which is a traditional way of driving away evil or bad luck in Myanmar, some shout from their balconies: “May the dictatorship fall.”
The resistance movement started soon after the coup on Monday among medical workers, who have been on the front lines of the coronavirus response but have since stepped down from non-essential duties to oppose the military. It soon spread to include students, youth groups, and employees from the state and private sectors.
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Myanmar military coup: Yangon residents make noise to protest against army takeover
The protesters have taken various approaches to make their opposition heard.
