First there was a coup, then Myanmar's military banned protests. And yet a new generation of pro-democracy protesters is still returning to the streets. In fact, their numbers might even be growing. There are reports of some police siding with demonstrators. Many still fear a bloodbath like so many times before. Which way will it go?
It has only been nine days since the generals threw out civilians, cancelled election results in which they were routed and detained Aung San Suu Kyi along with the president and most senior leaders of her National League for Democracy. But going underground is new for the generation that came of age during the past decade in a nation now fully connected to the outside world.
A case in point: that sound of banging pots and pans comes not from Yangon but Bangkok, where Thai pro-democracy activists have been inspired by their peers in Myanmar and where the military-backed regime is also trying to put a lid on dissent. How far can this new wave carry in Southeast Asia?
Produced by Charles Wente, Juliette Laurain and Imen Mellaz.
