He said since the latest military coup, not only politicians but writers and artists and workers had been detained and lost their freedoms. Democratically-elected state leaders had been detained, and protesters had been killed or imprisoned. About 800 people had been shot. People had lost jobs, and were struggling for survival, and needed humanitarian assistance. May Day was an appropriate time for workers around the world to unite in support of the pro-democracy movement in Myanmar, he said. Htoo said the protest aimed to help raise awareness of the country’s situation, and to bring pressure on the Government to not recognise the military government, and to encourage the re-instatement of the democratically-elected parliament.