At least two people were killed and dozens more injured in Burma on Saturday during protests against a military coup on February 1 that led to the arrest of Aung San Suu Kyi, the country’s de facto leader.
Violence broke out in Mandalay, Burma’s second largest city with a population of around 1.2 million people.
“A person died before my eyes, was shot in the head. I can’t say exactly the age, but it looked like it was a boy … A friend of mine saw the same thing, another person shot and killed in front of his eyes. So I can say for sure that two died at the scene, “said Pyae Sone Aung, a freelance photojournalist from Mandalay who attended the protest.
One of the dead men was identified by relatives as Thet Naing Win, a 36-year-old carpenter, Reuters reported.
BURMA’S SECURITY FORCES CONTINUE PROTEST INTIMIDATION, US EMBASSY AUTHORIZES VOLUNTARY EVACUATION
According to the protesters, people started meeting at 8 am at a local shipyard in Mandalay, hoping to prevent military police from entering the city. Things got violent around 2 pm, when local invaders who lived by the side of the road started throwing stones at police forces using water cannons to control the crowds, said Pyae Sone Aung.
“These people were throwing sticks and stones, they were nowhere near reaching the police,” said the witness.
According to Sone Aung, that was when the police started shooting into the air and chaos started.
“We didn’t know who was shot first, it was like a war zone,” said Sone Aung. “All we could do was wait until the police retreated so that ambulances and paramedics could come and collect the bodies, the wounded and shot.”
According to Sone Aung, the police used live ammunition, rubber bullets, tear gas and water cannons against the protesters.
“At first, when there were shots, people ran to the houses and spread out, but then everyone felt numb and knew it was so unfair, they ran back to see what happened. … They left with everything they could use to retaliate – slingshots, stones. “
Around noon, news of the violence began to reach Yangon – Burma’s largest city, with more than 5 million inhabitants.
“A boy died in Mandalay,” a woman who has American and Burmese citizenship and lives in Yangon in a WhatsApp message on condition of anonymity told Fox News. “He volunteered to help the wounded during the repression of the military, where he was shot in the head.”
She continued: “For the past 19 days … today is the worst. People are telling us not to fight the military and the police. … This is what the military wants … so that the UN and the US wins “to enter. “
A young woman, Nay Pyi Taw, died Friday night from injuries sustained in a protest on February 9, the first death reported as a result of the security forces’ response to the protests, according to the US State Department. USA.
“We condemn any violence against the people of Burma and reiterate our calls on the Burmese military to refrain from violence against peaceful demonstrators,” said State Department spokesman Ned Price. “We will work with partners and allies to pressure the Burmese military to reverse their actions and help the people of Burma to realize their aspirations for peace, democracy and the rule of law.”
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For some in the country, however, strong words from foreign powers are not enough.
“We would like the United States to intervene,” said the American / Burmese woman in Yangon. “Instead of words, sending letters saying they condemn the coup, they must act and demand the release of Aung San Su Kyi.”