An anti-coup protester discharges a fire extinguisher to counter the impact of the tear gas fired by police during a demonstration in Yangon, Myanmar.[Source: TVNZ]
Demonstrators in Myanmar’s biggest city came out for their first mass protests in defiance of a curfew, seeking to show support for an estimated 200 students trapped by security forces in a small area of one neighbourhood.
The students and other civilians earlier took part in one of the many daily protests across the country against the military’s seizure of power last month that ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.
The military government also placed a major curb on media coverage of the crisis. It announced that the licenses of five local media outlets — Mizzima, DVB, Khit Thit Media, Myanmar Now and 7Day News — have been canceled.
All five had been offering extensive coverage of the protests, often with live steaming video online.
The offices of Myanmar Now were raided by the authorities before the measure was announced.
