the military in myanmar has warned
anti-coup protesters that they
risk their lives if they continue to
demonstrate against military rule
despite the threat thousands of
protesters flocked to the streets and
cities across the country
including in the economic capital yangon
where demonstrators
chanted and called for a return to
democracy shops and businesses were also
shot on monday in a general strike
called to oppose the military seizure of
power
earlier i spoke to kuala lumpur-based
journalist dave grunibaum who has many
years experience reporting from myanmar
and i asked him
if the general strike there was taking
hold
yes this nationwide strike it is big it
has a lot of momentum behind it uh
a lot of major retailers have closed
down including the largest supermarket
chain in the country
city mart we've got restaurant chains
both domestic brands and international
brands that have closed down food
delivery seems to be closed down a lot
of mom-and-pop shops across the country
completely closed down now i spoke to
some contacts this morning in yangon who
told me when it comes to the number of
demonstrators on the streets
they expect today we'll see the largest
number of demonstrators we've seen so
far
in yangon and it's still early afternoon
there so we have to see how these
demonstrations develop throughout the
day
but when you look at the numbers we're
seeing so far and you look at the video
that's coming in from yangon
mandalay the second biggest city in the
country as well as other communities
they really seem to have just massive
numbers um these protesters they are not
backing down there were deadly incidents
in mandalay over the weekend
uh there's the young woman who died in
napied all last week as well
but they have not deterred the
demonstrations they are committed to
this movement
against the military the military junta
said gave out a statement and it said in
a quote here
protesters are now inciting the people
especially emotional teenagers and youth
to a confrontational path where they
will suffer
the loss of life how significant is that
threat
for the protest movement uh it's very
significant i mean there's nothing
ambiguous about it it's a clear threat
about the potential for them
to step up with deadly force in mass
numbers we've seen them use it in some
isolated
incidents so far but they haven't used
it in this particular case in mass
numbers
but these demonstrators are keenly aware
that this is a military
that in past circumstances such as 1988
and 2007 among others
have opened fired on large numbers of
demonstrators
so the question now is when would the
line be crossed when the military would
go that route again
they know that that video and that
information is going to get out fast
it's a different world now that's much
more connected compared to 1988 and
2007. so the question is
where is the line for the military to go
that route because right now they
clearly do not have control over the
country
so is there a point where they decide
that's the only way they can establish
control
over the country dave do you see a way
out of
this standoff
the longer this goes on the longer it
seems that it's going to be tougher for
them to come up with a peaceful
way to resolve it you've got a military
led by generals who have spent their
entire adult lives in the very
insular world of the myanmar army it's
really just about all they know
then you've got these demonstrators
demonstrators and the public at large in
myanmar
that got a taste of democracy in recent
years they saw the economic
opportunities they've been going in
recent years
and they want that to keep moving
forward they don't want to go back to
military rule a military that ruled this
country for roughly 50 years and it was
an economic disaster
they don't want to go back to that but
here's the other thing
a lot of these demonstrators have not
been working this entire month
and then we're approaching the end of
february and when we get to the end of
february and these people don't get paid
are they going to be able to go another
month march without pay
that's a big question here so next week
could be a real gut check for a lot of
demonstrators
journalists dave karumban talking to us
there from kuala lumpur thank you
sure thing okay we can speak now to sam
an activist
in myanmar who would like to stay
anonymous to protect his identity sam
thank you for joining us now the junta
as we heard there
is warning that protesters are risking
their lives if they continue to
demonstrate and we know that two
protesters
were shot over the weekend where you are
in mandalay
what exactly does that make you think
you and your fellow activists will you
continue to go out into the streets
yes um we are deserving to uh
do uh to do this till the end because um
right now uh innocent blood innocent
plan has been spilled and
we don't want that to be you know for
nothing
so we have to keep fighting uh to get uh
until we get the democracy
are you worried about what the
consequences might be
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yeah for now uh the military has been
threatening people
uh with uh yeah deadly forces that um
we're not that afraid anymore because uh
these are the same things that
they have tried in uh 1988
and we all know this uh their techniques
and
we are well be prepared so uh we are not
afraid anymore yeah at the same time
there is also a nationwide straight
uh strike today tell us more about that
approach and how that's affecting
businesses across the country
well um charms and business businesses
has been
closed for today and uh we i
i see that uh tens of thousands of
people are participating in the
uh in this protest so uh this sends a
very big message today
that we're not going to take their rule
anymore and this also sends a sent a
message
to the whole world that we have a sense
of unity in our voices
and we are well committed to
take this to the end sam it seems like
neither side is backing down here do you
think there is still a window for a
peaceful resolution to this crisis
yes uh people are calling for absolute
uh
demolition of uh the military kunda and
um for me personally i feel like um
they need to go because uh they have
been uh
responsible for so many uh evil
and suffering of many people so
yeah personally i don't i don't see any
compromise having
uh with a hunter we'll have to leave it
there sam and activist joining us uh
from myanmar thank you
thanks thank you for having me