Myanmar coup: Police clamp down as protesters defy ban on gatherings

Police in Myanmar have fired water cannon to disperse protesters who have taken to the streets, despite a ban on large public gatherings.

The military has prohibited gatherings of more than five people in the cities of Yangon and Mandalay, with a curfew.

The rules were brought in after three straight days of mass protests, following the overthrow of Aung San Suu Kyi's elected government in a coup.

State TV said on Monday action "must be taken" against those breaking the law.

However, the BBC's Jonathan Head notes there has yet to be a sustained effort to break up the protest, with all eyes on the military.

If they move, our South East Asia correspondent says, the risk of a repeat of the bloodshed seen in the past in Myanmar - also known as Burma - is much higher.

On Monday, military leader Min Aung Hlaing warned that no one is above the law, although he did not issue a direct threat to protesters.

But the mood remained defiant as protesters calling for democracy to be restored returned to the streets on Tuesday.

"We are not worried about their warning. That's why we came out today. We cannot accept their excuse of vote fraud. We do not want any military dictatorship," teacher Thein Win Soe told news agency AFP.

What is happening with the protests?

The fourth day of protests saw a large crowd face off with police who fired water cannon in the city of Bago.

Water cannon was also used on protesters in the capital Nay Pyi Taw, with reports of injuries.

In other cities across Myanmar, protesters are continuing to gather with pictures showing substantial crowds in several places.

• How Facebook became Myanmar's 'digital tea shop'

• Why young Burmese fear a return to 'the dark old days'

It follows Monday's action, which saw teachers, lawyers, bank officers and government workers gather in cities across the country.

A few injuries were reported, but there were no reports of violence.

The BBC's Nyein Chan Aye, in Yangon, says Buddhist monks, members of the minority Muslim community, top footballers and film and music stars have also been joining the anti-coup protests, which he says are expected to become more organised as the days go on.

How is the military reacting?

Monday saw Gen Min Aung Hlaing give his first televised address since the coup a week earlier. He insisted the seizure of power was justified due to "voter fraud", accusing the electoral commission of failing to investigate irregularities over voter lists in the November election.

• Growing up under Myanmar's military rule

• What Myanmar's coup means for Aung San Suu Kyi

The commission had said there was no evidence to support claims of widespread fraud. The election was won in a landslide by the party of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Ms Suu Kyi and senior leaders of her National League for Democracy Party (NLD), including President Win Myint, have been put under house arrest after being detained a week ago.

Gen Min Aung Hlaing promised new elections overseen by a new "reformed" election commission, and said the military would hand power to the winner.

He also said his rule would be "different" from what was effectively a 49-year military grip on power that ended in 2011.

He spoke of achieving a "true and disciplined democracy", a phrase that drew scorn from some opponents of the coup on social media.

On Tuesday, New Zealand announced that it would be suspending all high-level contact with Myanmar and imposing a travel ban on its military leaders.

Ms Ardern added that New Zealand's aid programmes in Myanmar was worth about NZ$42m ($30.5m; £22m) between 2018 and 2021, according to a Reuters news agency report.

It is the first major international move to isolate the military since they took power on 1 February.