Major General Zaw Min Tun, deputy minister at the Ministry of Information, said the government is giving civil servants participating in the protests time to report back to their workplaces.

But he warned that the government would not wait very long for them to return to work.

“The waiting time will not be long,” he said.

Major General Zaw Min Tun said that despite civil servants joining the protests the government is functioning normally.

He noted that in most government offices, there are staff who earlier joined the protests but who have begun reporting back to work.

The deputy minister said the government is now negotiating with railway staff to resume their duties as train schedules have been disrupted. He warned that the government can replace those workers who are protesting but that has not done so yet.

The Major General also warned that those who persuade or coerce civil servants to join the protests will be punished.

Tens of thousands of protesters, including civil servants, have joined a nationwide civil disobedience movement to denounce the February 1 military takeover and the detention of Myanmar leaders State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and President U Win Myint.

The military has declared a year long state of emergency but vowed to turnover power to whoever will win the election next year. - Translated