From placards to guns: Myanmar's democracy protesters battle junta

Last month some of those same protesters faced off against the military again -- but this time they were operating a mortar in northern Shan state, firing rounds at a junta position with swift, practised movements.

PREMIUM Politics

This photo taken on December 8, 2023, shows members of the Mandalay People’s Defense Forces (MDY-PDF) taking part in a flag raising ceremony at their base camp in the forest near Namhsan Township in Myanmar’s northern Shan State. The coup launched on February 1, 2021 was supposed to put control of Myanmar firmly back in the hands of the military after a 10-year experiment with democracy. AFP photos