Sharjah24 – Reuters: Major trade unions in Myanmar prepared for strikes on Monday to try to squeeze the country's fragile economy and pile pressure on its new military rulers, as a weekend of violence and nighttime raids renewed calls for sustained nationwide protests.
Witnesses reported the sound of gunfire and stun grenades in different parts of the commercial capital Yangon during the night, while state media on Monday said security forces were keeping a presence at hospitals and universities as part of efforts to enforce the law.
At least nine unions covering sectors including construction, agriculture and manufacturing called on "all Myanmar people" to stop work to reverse the Feb. 1 coup and restore Aung San Suu Kyi's elected government.
Allowing business and economic activity to continue would help the military "as they repress the energy of the Myanmar people", it said in a statement.
"The time to take action in defence of our democracy is now," it said.
Women's groups called for a Htamain (Sarong) movement to mobilise in force and mark International Women's Day while denouncing the junta.
Some of the biggest protests in recent weeks took place on Sunday, with police firing stun grenades and tear gas to break up demonstrations in Yangon, the northern town of Lashio and a sit-in by tens of thousands of people the second-biggest city Mandalay.
Police and military have killed more than 50 people to quell daily demonstrations and strikes since the coup, according to the United Nations. Protest leader Maung Saungkha on Facebook urged women to come out strongly against the coup on Monday, while Nay Chi, one of the organisers of the Sarong movement, described the women as "revolutionaries".
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