Activists in Myanmar’s commercial capital staged a flash protest in heavily guarded Yangon on Friday morning to mark the 81st birthday of jailed State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

Members of an underground activist group hung a vinyl banner reading “81 for 81: Immediate Release of Mother Suu” beneath a bronze statue of her father, independence hero General Aung San, at the Bailey Bridge junction in North Dagon Township.

The flash demonstration was organized by a Yangon-based anti-regime group calling itself “Pyit Taing Htaung Lay Myar” (Little Tumbler Toys).

“We boldly protested against the military dictatorship to mark the 81st birthday of our public leader,” a representative of the group told local media, speaking on the condition of anonymity for security reasons.

The pro-democracy leader has been held in detention since the military seized power in a February 2021 coup.

Friday’s protest coincides with a broader series of quiet defiance campaigns inside Myanmar and among diaspora communities abroad. Supporters are taking part in the traditional “Rose Campaign,” wearing or displaying roses to honour the ousted leader, who frequently wore flowers in her hair.

Anti-regime organizers have urged the public to participate in birthday commemorations using discreet methods to avoid confrontation with security forces, citing heightened surveillance and the strict threat of arrest by the military administration.