Anti-coup demonstrators in Myanmar decorated boiled eggs on Easter Sunday in the latest protest as the military junta continues its brutal crackdown.
Myanmar has been gripped by severe turmoil since a February 1 coup ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
Security forces have sought to quell a mass uprising with lethal force, with the number of deaths reaching 557 as of Saturday, according to local monitoring group Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP).
To coincide with Easter Sunday, scores of Myanmar protesters decorated eggs with political messages and left them on neighbour’s doorsteps and hanging in bags on front gates.
Pictures posted on social media showed eggs adorned with Suu Kyi’s likeness and three-finger salutes, a symbol of the resistance, while others said “save our people” and “democracy”.
Though a Facebook group opposed to promoting the egg protest urged people to be respectful of Christian traditions on Easter Sunday.
Early bird protesters also hit the streets of Mandalay Sunday, with some carrying flags and riding motorbikes.
Their demonstration comes even after four protesters were killed Saturday in the cities of Bago and Monywa.
While foreign companies have faced growing calls to sever ties with the junta, French energy giant Total announced Sunday it will not halt gas production in coup-hit Myanmar.
Chief executive of Total Patrick Pouyanne said Total has a duty to stay the course.
Italian fashion brand Benetton and Swedish retailer H&M have suspended all new orders from Myanmar, while French power group EDF halted its activities, including a $1.5-billion project to build a hydroelectric dam.
The Unrest supported by a widespread strike by civil servants has crippled Myanmar’s economy, leaving gas exports as one of the junta’s main sources of revenue.
