A march in thousands took place in Yangon on February 3, to show support for the Myanmar Armed Forces, known as Tatmadaw, in particular regarding a ceasefire in the north, according to an article in the Myanmar Times. Most of the demonstrators wore white, and waved Myanmar flags and those of a white dove. On December 21, the Tatmadaw announced a ceasefire in the north of the country. However, it didn’t include Rakhine State. The army has been fighting the Arakan Army (AA). “We welcome the unilateral ceasefire by the Tatmadaw,” Sayadaw U Nyan Naw Bartha of the Patriotic Monks Union of Yangon was quoted as saying. “It shows that the Tatmadaw truly wants peace and is good-hearted”. Among those present at the march were monk U Wirathu, and nationalist and former politician U Hla Swe. The Tatmadaw has come under considerable criticism internationally in the past year, mainly for its handling of the crisis in Rakhine State in late 2017.
