Supporters of Myanmar’s imprisoned ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi carried out peaceful flower-themed protests marking her 79th birthday on June 19, some taking to the streets in defiance of the military government’s repression.
Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize winner who led a decades-long struggle against military rule, was detained on February 1, 2021, when the army seized power from her elected government. She is serving a 27-year prison term on what are widely regarded as charges that were contrived to keep her from political activity.
She is one of more than 20,600 people currently detained for opposing military rule, according to the independent Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, which documents arrests.
Pro-democracy street protests in Suu Kyi’s honor were held openly in parts of the country not under the control of the army, including in the Sagaing and Magway regions in central Myanmar, Tanintharyi in the south, and Kachin state in the north.
Images on social media showed protesters carrying Suu Kyi’s picture and banners reading “Happy Birthday, Steel Rose” and “The steel roses will retaliate against the junta’s oppression without yielding,” referencing one of their hero’s nicknames and adopting the sobriquet for themselves.
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