Activists say 38 protesters were killed on one of the bloodiest days in Myanmar since the military coup.
Security forces opened fire in an area of Myanmar’s largest city, Yangon, with protesters using sticks and knives.
The military declared martial law in the area after Chinese companies were attacked. Protesters believe China is supporting the military, but it is unclear who is behind the attacks.
Myanmar has been the target of protests since the February 1 military coup.
Military leaders detained Aung San Suu Kyi, the country’s civilian leader and head of the National League for Democracy (NLD) party.
The NLD won a landslide victory in last year’s election, but the military claimed that there was widespread fraud.
Some of the sacked MPs refused to accept last month’s coup and went into hiding.
In their first public speech, their leader, Mahn Win Khaing Than, asked protesters to defend themselves from military repression during what he called a “revolution”.
“This is the darkest moment in the nation and the moment when dawn is near,” he said, adding, “The revolt must win.”
At least 21 people were killed in Yangon on Sunday. Other deaths and injuries have been reported in other parts of the country. The monitoring group of the Association for Assistance to Political Prisoners (AAPP) said the death toll on the day was at least 38.
Medical professionals said the number of people killed in the Yangon area of Hlaing Tharyar is expected to increase, with dozens injured by gunshot wounds.
What happened at Hlaing Tharyar?
The junta declared martial law in Hlaing Tharyar and neighboring Shwepyitha after China said Chinese factories in the area were targeted and demanded protection.
Beijing said people armed with iron bars, axes and gasoline set fire to and damaged 10 Chinese facilities – mostly clothing production or storage factories – in Yangon. A Chinese hotel was also attacked.
On its Facebook page, the Chinese embassy said that “some factories were looted and destroyed and many Chinese officials were injured and arrested”.
The embassy urged Myanmar to “take other effective measures to prevent all acts of violence, to punish perpetrators according to the law and to ensure the safety of life and property of Chinese companies and employees in Myanmar”.
Military-owned Myawaddy Media reported that firefighters were prevented from responding to fires by people who blocked their routes.
Shots were heard throughout the day and military trucks were seen on the streets.
Protesters barricaded themselves with sandbags, car tires and barbed wire when security forces opened fire. Using makeshift shields, some were seen advancing slowly to rescue the wounded.
A police officer posted on social media that the police planned to use heavy weapons.
“I will have no mercy on Hlaing Tharyar and they will fight seriously as well because there are all kinds of characters there,” said the officer in the post subsequently excluded from TikTok.
“Three died in front of me while I was being treated. I am going to send two more to the hospital. That’s all I can say at this point,” a doctor told AFP.
Several other deaths at the hands of the military have been reported in other parts of Myanmar, including a young man shot dead by security forces in the jade-producing city of Hpakant, and a man and woman killed in Bago, north of Yangon.
Meanwhile, state TV said a police officer was killed. Another three were injured by protesters throwing stones and using catapults in the Bago region, MRTV said.
In total, more than 120 protesters were reportedly killed during the crackdown, according to the AAPP monitoring group.
Later, hundreds of people sat with candles lit at the main intersection of Hledan Road in central Yangon.
What did Mahn Win Khaing Than say?
NLD MPs who managed to escape from prison after the coup formed a new group, the CRPH, or Committee to Represent the Union’s Parliament.
Mahn Win Khaing Than has been appointed acting head of CRPH and the group seeks international recognition as the legitimate government of Myanmar.
In a speech on Facebook, Mahn Win Khaing Than said: “This is the time for our citizens to test their resistance against the dark times.
“To form a federal democracy, which all the ethnic brothers who have suffered from various types of oppression from the dictatorship for decades really wanted, this revolution is the chance for us to join our efforts.
“Despite our differences in the past, this is the time when we must join hands to end the dictatorship forever.”
The military considers CRPH to be an illegal group, warning that anyone who cooperates with them will be accused of treason.
What is the background?
Independent international observers contested the military’s allegation about the fraudulent election held in November 2020, saying that no irregularities were observed.
Last week, the military accused Suu Kyi of illegally accepting $ 600,000 (£ 430,000) and 11 kg of gold. No evidence was provided and an NLD lawmaker denied the allegation.
Ms. Suu Kyi has been held for the past five weeks in an undisclosed location and faces several other charges, including causing “fear and alarm”, illegal possession of radio equipment and breach of Covid-19 restrictions.
Since the coup, the military has used violent force to try to contain the protests, leaving dozens dead and generating widespread international condemnation.
The United States has announced sanctions on the coup leaders, while measures are also being taken to block military access to $ 1 billion of government funds held in the United States.
The military rejected criticism of its actions, blaming Suu Kyi for the violence.
Myanmar’s profile
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Myanmar became independent from Britain in 1948. For much of its modern history, it was under military rule
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Restrictions began to ease from 2010, leading to free elections in 2015 and the installation of a government led by veteran opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi the following year
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In 2017, Myanmar’s army responded to attacks on the police by Rohingya militants with deadly repression, taking more than half a million Rohingya Muslims across the border into Bangladesh, in what the UN later called “a classic example of ethnic cleansing”
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Country profile
