Supporters of Myanmar's jailed leader strive to set world record to honor her 80th birthday

BANGKOK — Thousands of supporters of Myanmar’s jailed erstwhile person Aung San Suu Kyi celebrated her 80th day Thursday by attempting to acceptable a satellite grounds for the astir day greeting videos, portion others took to the streets successful demonstrations against the subject government that ousted her.

Kalo Say Htoo, an organizer of the day video campaign, said the archetypal extremity was to cod 80,000 greeting videos to grant Suu Kyi and execute a recognized Guinness World Record.

The fig of videos collected surpassed 103,000 connected Thursday, tripling the existent grounds of 32,207 achieved successful 2017, organizers said.

Suu Kyi was arrested successful February 2021 erstwhile the subject seized powerfulness from her democratically elected government. She was convicted connected much than a twelve charges for offenses that her supporters accidental were concocted to support her retired of politics. She remains regarded by galore successful Myanmar arsenic the country’s morganatic person portion serving a 27-year situation term.

Kim Aris, Suu Kyi’s lad surviving successful London, said successful a connection connected Facebook Thursday that the run is simply a almighty testament to his mother’s planetary support.

“It’s my anticipation this accomplishment brings urgent attraction to her plight and that of the radical of Burma,” said Aris, utilizing the country’s erstwhile name. “Her dependable whitethorn beryllium silenced, but her occurrence volition ne'er beryllium extinguished.”

Aris planned to tally 80 kilometers (49.7 miles) to grant his mother’s birthday, portion encouraging others to amusement enactment with the numerical theme, specified arsenic walking for 80 minutes oregon making 80 recipes.

More than 6,800 civilians are estimated to person been killed by information forces during a wide equipped struggle against subject rule that began aft generals seized powerfulness from Suu Kyi’s elected government, according to figures compiled by nongovernmental organizations.

Pro-democracy thoroughfare protests successful Suu Kyi’s grant were held Thursday successful areas that are not nether subject power including bluish Kachin state, the cardinal regions of Mandalay, Sagaing and Magway and successful Tanintharyi successful the south.

Members of the Overseas Irrawaddy Association and humor donors celebrating Aung San Suu Kyi's 80th day connected Thursday successful Mae Sot, Thailand.Paschal Zayar / SOPA Images/LightRocket via Gett

Photos connected societal media showed demonstrators carrying flowers, day cakes and posters of Suu Kyi, arsenic good arsenic banners speechmaking “Happy Birthday” and urging supporters to strive for “the liberation of the full nation, including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.”

The subject government’s supporters posted calls for the apprehension of protesters.

Several Western embassies posted pictures and illustrations connected societal media of reddish roses, with immoderate issuing statements calling for Suu Kyi and each different governmental prisoners to beryllium released.

The Suu Foundation, a nonprofit humanitarian organization, and the instrumentality steadfast Zimeray & Finelle said successful a associated connection Thursday that Suu Kyi was thought to person suffered an wounded to her near limb during the 7.7 magnitude earthquake that deed the state successful March.