YANGON — Instead of the usual water pistols, splashing and jubilant crowds during Myanmar’s New Year festival of Thingyan, this year’s holiday will see real guns, blood on the streets and grief over a democracy robbed.
For a second year running, Myanmar’s traditional Buddhist holiday period, which runs from Tuesday to Friday this week, has been disrupted.
Pandemic restrictions forced the cancellation of public water fights, street parties and dance performances last year.
But the February 1 military coup which ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi from power, and a subsequent security crackdown that has claimed more than 700 lives, has darkened the mood in 2021.
Yango…
Keep on reading: No mood to celebrate: Myanmar to snub water fight festival