Protesters flee like gunfire heard in Myanmar
Video from Yangon shows protesters fleeing while the sound of shots is heard.
USA TODAY, STORIEF
YANGON, Myanmar – Security forces in Myanmar opened fire and carried out mass arrests on Sunday as they tried to break up protests against the seizure of force, a UN human rights official said he had “credible information” that 18 people had been killed. and 30 people were killed. wounded.
It would be the highest death toll of one day among protesters demanding that the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi be brought back to power after being ousted by a February 1 coup.
“Deaths have reportedly been caused by live ammunition fired at crowds in Yangon, Dawei, Mandalay, Myeik, Bago and Pokokku,” the UN Human Rights Office said in a statement, citing several cities, adding that the forces also used tear gas, lightning grenades and stun grenades.
“We strongly condemn the escalating violence against protests in Myanmar and call on the military to stop the use of force against peaceful protesters immediately,” said Ravina Shamdasani, spokeswoman.
An Associated Press journalist was arrested Saturday morning during news coverage of the protests. The journalist, Thein Zaw, remains in police custody.
The Democratic voice of Burma reported that from 17:00 in Myanmar there were 19 confirmed deaths in nine cities, with another ten deaths unconfirmed. The independent media company broadcasts on satellite and digital terrestrial television, as well as online.
Social media and the coup: Why is Facebook banning military pages in Myanmar? What you need to know
DVB has five deaths in Yangon and two in Mandalay, the largest and second largest cities.
It has recorded five deaths in Dawei, a much smaller city in southeastern Myanmar, which has seen tens of thousands of protesters almost every day since the coup. Witnesses said Sunday’s march was also large and people were determined not to drive off the streets.
Confirming the deaths of protesters was difficult amid the chaos and general lack of news from official sources, especially in areas outside Yangon, Mandalay and the capital of Naypyitaw. But in many cases, photos and videos that were circulated showed circumstances about the murders and gruesome photos of corpses.
Guns were reported earlier during protests in Yangon, as police also fired tear gas and water cannons as they tried to clear the streets. Photos of shell casings of live ammunition used in assault rifles were posted on social media.
Initial reports on social media have identified that a young man was allegedly killed. His body was shown on photos and videos on a sidewalk until other protesters carried him away.
In Dawei, local media reported that at least three people were killed during a protest march, supported by photos and videos. Photos on social media showed that one wounded man was in the care of medical staff.
According to the Independent Assistance Association of Political Prisoners, there were eight confirmed reports of murders related to the takeover of the army before Sunday.
The February 1 coup turned years of slow progress toward democracy into five decades of military rule. Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party was to be installed in office for a second term of five years, but the military blocked parliament from meeting her and President Win Myint, as well as other top members of Suu Kyi’s government. keep.
On Sunday morning, medical students marched in Yangon near the Hledan Center intersection, which became the gathering point for protesters then waving to other parts of the city.
More: Anti-coup protesters in Myanmar defy junta’s orders, pressure on military regime
On videos and photos, protesters can be seen running while the police are charging them, setting up roadblocks to slow down their march. Some protesters managed to repel the police with tear gas cans. In the area, residents pleaded with police to release those they had picked up from the street and pushed into police trucks to be taken away. Dozens or more are believed to be detained.
“The world is watching the actions of the military junta in Myanmar, and will hold them accountable,” said Phil Robertson, deputy director of Human Rights Watch in New York. “Live ammunition should not be used to control or disperse protests, and lethal force can only be used to protect lives or prevent serious injuries.”
Security forces began a tougher tactic on Saturday, with preventative actions to break up protest marches and made numerous arrests, if not hundreds. Larger numbers of soldiers also joined the police. Many of those detained were taken to Insein Prison in the northern suburbs of Yangon, which was historically notorious for detaining political prisoners.
According to the Assistance Association of Political Prisoners, 854 people were arrested, charged or convicted at one stage in connection with the coup, and 771 are detained or arrested. The group said that although it had documented 75 new arrests, it understood that hundreds of other people had also been picked up in Yangon and elsewhere on Saturday.
More: Biden says US will sanction Myanmar leaders after coup, warns not to stop protests