With 3,000 killed, 17,000 jailed and 1.2m displaced, Myanmar counts devastating cost of two years since coup

Protesters in Myanmar marked the second anniversary of the military coup with a “silent strike” and renewed vows to restore the democracy that was wrested from them.

The country has been gripped by a bloody civil war since a junta led by General Min Aung Hlaing toppled the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.

Pro-democracy groups on Wednesday asked civilians to stay at home to show strength and solidarity in the face of the junta's violent crackdown on dissent and free speech. The opposition’s General Strike Coordination Body, which was formed after the coup, urged people to stay inside in their homes or workplaces from 10am to 3pm local time.