Thousands protest Myanmar coup, Internet restrictions

Feb. 6 (UPI) -- Thousands of people took to the streets Saturday to protest the military coup that led to the detainment of Myanmar's leader, Aung San Suu Kyi.

The Guardian reported the protests were centered in the country's largest city -- Yangon -- where demonstrators chanted "down with the military dictatorship."

The Myanmar military took control of the government and implemented a nationwide state of emergency Monday, detaining Suu Kyi and other democratically elected officials.

The military, known as the Tatmadaw, said it called a yearlong state of emergency over alleged irregularities with November's parliamentary elections, during which Suu Kyi's National League of Democracy Party won a landslide with 399 of the 462 seats in parliament.

The demonstration came after authorities restricted Internet access and blocked some social media websites, according to Norwegian telecommunications company Telenor, which operates in Myanmar.

The company said it received an order from the government for a nationwide shutdown of its network due to the "circulation of fake news, stability of the nation and interest of the public."

"Telenor Myanmar, as a local company, is bound by local law and needs to handle this irregular and difficult situation," the company said in a statement to The Washington Post. "We have employees on the ground and our first priority is to ensure their safety."