Opponents to the military rule in Myanmar held “silent strikes” on Tuesday, marking the one-year anniversary of the coup that quashed efforts toward democracy.
Activists urged people to remain inside and to keep businesses closed despite the possibility of arrests, jail and a seizure of businesses, according to Reuters.
“We might be arrested and spend our life in jail if we’re lucky. We might be tortured and killed if we’re unlucky,” youth activist Nan Lin said to the news service.
Witnesses also reportedly said an explosion took place during a procession of military supporters, killing two people and injuring over 30 others.
Additionally, state media announced that the state of emergency imposed at the time of the coup would be extended for six more months following threats from “internal and external saboteurs” and “terrorist attacks and destruction,” Reuters reported.
The U.S., Britain and Canada imposed new sanctions on the military and called for a stop in arms sales to Myanmar on the one year anniversary of the coup.
“Since the military coup of February 1, 2021, the people of Burma have stood firm in rejecting military rule and calling for their country’s return to the path to inclusive democracy,” the State Department said, adding that the regime has killed almost 1,500 people and detained 10,000 others.
“We will continue to target those responsible for the coup and ongoing violence, enablers of the regime’s brutal repression, and their financial supporters,” Brian Nelson, Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence for the Treasury Department also said. Nelson noted that the U.S. would support Myanmar in seeking “freedom and democracy.”