Myanmar coup leader: ‘Join hands’ with army for democracy

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — Myanmar’s coup leader has used the country’s Union Day holiday to call on people to work with the military if they want democracy, a request likely to be met with derision by protesters who are pushing for the release from detention of their country’s elected leaders. In addition to the military commander’s message published Friday, the new junta also announced it would mark Union Day by releasing thousands of prisoners and reducing other inmates’ sentences. The Feb. 1 coup ousted the civilian government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. It reversed nearly a decade of progress toward democracy following 50 years of military rule and has led to widespread protests in cities around the country.