Anti-coup protesters defy junta warning, strike grips Myanmar

People gather during a candlelight vigil to protest against the military coup in Yangon, Myanmar, February 21, 2021. REUTERS/Stringer

(Reuters) - A general strike against military rule shut businesses in Myanmar on Monday and huge crowds gathered peacefully despite fears of violence after authorities warned that confrontation could be deadly.

Three weeks after seizing power, the junta has failed to stop the daily protests and a civil disobedience movement calling for the reversal of the Feb. 1 coup and release of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi.