Burmese residents beat pots and pans and honked car horns on Tuesday night (Feb 2) at 8pm to show their disapproval and rejection of the military coup.

The chorus of sound rang out through capital Yangon as angry locals vowed to continue doing it in the coming days amid anger at the military for toppling leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

One resident said: 'In Yangon most people support Aung San Suu Kyi, of course. Voting results truly reflect the will of the people.

'The military is an illegitimate government. No one will recognize them. There might have been some discrepancies in voter lists. But, that is not to the level it can change the election result.'

The spontaneous civilian protest came after Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and other politicians were detained by the army in Yangon, Myanmar, on Monday morning (Feb 1).

Unrest has grown in Myanmar, also known as Burma, following disputed elections last November. The Union Election Commission (UEC) is accused of undermining the election and opponents claim there was widespread fraud.

Following the protests, which have gathered pace since the elections, Myanmar's military later took control of the country and detained Aung San Suu Kyi and other politicians in the early hours of Monday morning (Feb 1). They also disconnected phone and Internet services in a move branded a military coup and slammed by leaders across the world.

The military said in a statement that 'all authority has been given to the top army commander and a one-year state of emergency has been declared'.

Reacting to events, The White House said it was 'alarmed' by the developments in Myanmar, which is also known as Burma. Spokesman Jen Psaki said: 'We continue to affirm our strong support for Burma's democratic institutions.' America called for Aung San Suu Kyi to be released and threatened to 'take action against those responsible if these steps are not reversed'.

Burma was governed by Britain from 1824 to 1948, during which time it became the second-wealthiest country in Southeast Asia but following independence was ruled by the military until 2011 when democratic reforms began.