Myanmar military cracks down on rising protests

The military government announced a curfew and banned gatherings of more than five people in the two largest cities in Myanmar, also known as Burma, on Monday. The decree said the restrictions in Yangon and Mandalay target unlawful actions that harm the rule of law. Police arrested some protesters and used water cannons on others who defied the ban on Tuesday.

What spurred the measures? Thousands of chanting protesters gathered in several cities over the weekend to demand an end to the military dictatorship following a coup. In the capital city of Naypyidaw on Monday, police fired a water cannon at hundreds of protesters who stood near a statue of the deposed State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi. In Yangon, some protesters carried placards that read “Justice for Myanmar” and held up a three-finger salute as a symbol of resistance. On Saturday, authorities detained Sean Turnell, an Australian citizen and economist who served as an adviser to Suu Kyi’s government.

Dig deeper: Read Angela Lu Fulton’s report on the coup.

Editor's note: WORLD has updated this report since its initial posting.