A 27-year-old who identified himself as a Burmese policeman said in an interview that he traveled for days to get into India after refusing to open fire on peaceful demonstrators in the country.
Reuters reported that Tha Peng was assigned to a protest in the city of Khampat late last month and was instructed to use his machine gun against the protesters. He told the news agency exclusively that he refused and was contacted the next day by a superior who inquired about his refusal. He said he decided to resign.
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He told Reuters he was not the only police officer who refused orders and said at least six others refused to open fire. The report said the officer had identification and the report only used his first name to protect his identity, but his story highlights the deteriorating situation in the country of 54 million since the military coup last month.
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Protests are taking place in several cities across the country to oppose the coup that ousted Aung San Suu Kyi, head of the National League for Democracy party. The military junta says the November election was illegitimate and will rule next year.
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So far, the government’s violent crackdown has left more than 50 protesters dead. At least 18 people were shot dead on Sunday last week and 38 on Wednesday, according to the UN Human Rights Office.
The Associated Press contributed to this report