YANGON: Anti-coup protesters on Thursday took to the streets of Myanmar for a sixth consecutive day, after US President Joe Biden announced sanctions against the Southeast Asian nation's generals and demanded they relinquish power.
There has been an outpouring of anger and defiance since the military ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi last week and detained her along with other senior figures of her National League for Democracy party.
Security forces have used tear gas, water cannon and rubber bullets against the protesters, with isolated reports of live rounds also being fired. Police also ramped up their harassment of the NLD with a raid on its headquarters.
But demonstrators again marched peacefully on Thursday in Naypyidaw -- the capital and military stronghold -- as well as Yangon, the largest city and commercial hub.
"Don't go to the office," chanted a group of protesters outside Myanmar's central bank in Yangon, part of a civil disobedience effort urging civil servants and people in other industries to boycott work and put pressure on the junta.
"We aren't doing this for a week or a month -- we are determined to do this until the end when (Suu Kyi) and President U Win Myint are released," one bank employee who had joined the protest told AFP.
There were also fresh rallies in the cities of Dawei and Mandalay, with protesters carrying signs that said "Restore our Democracy!" and "We condemn the military coup".