The riot police face protesters participating in a demonstration against the military coup in Yangon on February 27, 2021.
YE AUNG THU | AFP | Getty Images
Myanmar police fired on demonstrators across the country on Sunday, the bloodiest day of the weeks of demonstrations against a military coup and at least 18 people were killed, the UN human rights office said.
The police took action earlier and opened fire in different parts of the largest city in Yangon after shock grenades, tear gas and shots into the air failed to disperse the crowds. The soldiers also reinforced the police.
Several injured were dragged by other protesters, leaving blood stains on the sidewalks, media images showed. A man died after being taken to a hospital with a bullet in the chest, said a doctor who asked not to be identified.
“Police and military forces have faced peaceful demonstrations, using lethal and less than lethal force which – according to reliable information received by the UN Human Rights Office – left at least 18 dead and more than 30 injured,” said the office. of rights said.
Myanmar has been in chaos since the army seized power and arrested elected government leader Aung San Suu Kyi and much of his party leadership on February 1, alleging fraud in a November election that his party won overwhelmingly.
The coup, which halted hesitant steps towards democracy after almost 50 years of military rule, drew hundreds of thousands to the streets and condemnation from Western countries.
Among the dead were three people in Dawei, in the south, politician Kyaw Min Htike told Reuters in the city.
Myanmar Now media reported that two people were killed in a protest in the second city of Mandalay. Security forces fired again at the end of the day and a woman was killed, Mandalay resident Sai Tun told Reuters.
“The medical team examined her and confirmed that she did not survive. She was shot in the head,” said Sai Tun.
The police and the governing military council spokesman did not respond to calls seeking comment.
Among those killed in Yangon is a teacher, Tin New Yee, who died after police launched a protest against teachers with shock grenades, causing the crowd to flee, her daughter and a fellow teacher said.
Police also launched shock grenades outside a medical school in Yangon, scattering doctors and students in white coats. A group called the Whitecoat Alliance of doctors said more than 50 doctors were arrested.
Police stopped protests in other cities, including Lashio in the northeast, Myeik in the far south and Hpa-An in the east, residents and the media said.
‘Outrageous, outrageous’
The Junta leader, General Min Aung Hlaing, said last week that the authorities were using the least amount of force to deal with the protests.
However, at least 21 protesters died in the riot. The army said a police officer was killed.
The repression seems to indicate the military’s determination to impose its authority in the face of the challenge, not only on the streets, but more widely in the public service, municipal administration, judiciary, in the education and health sectors and in the media.
“The clear escalation of Myanmar’s security forces in the use of lethal force in several cities … is outrageous and unacceptable,” said Phil Robertson, New York-based deputy director for Human Rights Watch in New York. communicated.
The Canadian embassy said it was “shocked by a trend towards increased violence and use of force against demonstrators” and Indonesia, which has taken the lead within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in efforts to resolve the turmoil, said that he was deeply concerned.
State television MRTV said more than 470 people were arrested on Saturday when police launched the nationwide crackdown. It was not clear how many were arrested on Sunday.
‘Instill fear’
Young activist Esther Ze Naw said that people are struggling with the fear they lived under the military regime.
“It is obvious that they are trying to instill fear in us, making us run and hide,” she said. “We cannot accept this.”
State television announced on Saturday that the UN envoy from Myanmar was fired for betraying the country after urging the United Nations to use “all necessary means” to reverse the coup.
The ambassador, Kyaw Moe Tun, remained defiant. “I decided to fight as long as I can,” he told Reuters in New York.
Although Western countries have condemned the coup and some have imposed limited sanctions, generals have traditionally ignored diplomatic pressure. They promised to hold a new election, but did not set a date.
The party and Suu Kyi’s supporters said the outcome of the November vote must be respected.
Suu Kyi, 75, who spent almost 15 years under house arrest, faces charges of illegal importation of six walkie-talkie radios and violation of a natural disaster law by violating coronavirus protocols. The next hearing on her case is on Monday.