Protests broke out across Myanmar over the upcoming visit of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen to the country - an action many see as a tacit recognition of the country’s ruling military, which seized power in a Feb. 1 coup. He is visiting as 2022 chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
“Coming here to our country to mediate implementation of the recommendations means nothing to us. It won’t do any good and that’s why we are protesting,” one protester said. Demonstrators added that Prime Minister Hun Sen himself is a serious human rights abuser who is giving support to the military. They stomped on photos of him and later burned them.
Three bombs exploded near the Cambodian embassy in Yangon as a protest against the visit and leaflets were distributed in Burmese, English and Cambodian near the embassy. The Pyinmana Revolutionary Army (PRA), one of the numerous armed groups in the country, also issued a statement on Dec 21 warning that it would not be responsible for the security of any international diplomats who recognize the junta.
Photos: Citizen journalists
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