At least four people were shot and killed during the protests in Myanmar on Sunday, when the military began what appeared to be the toughest repression so far in daily demonstrations against the month-long coup.
As large-scale protests took place across the country, security forces appeared to be taking a more aggressive approach, resorting more quickly to shots and moving forward to arrest groups of protesters before their marches could begin.
In the southern city of Dawei, police opened fire on hundreds of people, witnesses said. At least three people died and more than 50 were injured, said Dr. Tun Min, who treated the wounded in a hospital. A second doctor, who asked not to be identified for fear of retaliation, confirmed these figures.
In Yangon, the largest city in Myanmar, a 23-year-old man named Hein Htut Aung was shot and killed in a protest. His death was confirmed by Nadi Ayar Hospital, where he was taken after the shooting.
The deaths on Sunday have raised the number of people shot and killed in the protests to at least seven since the February 1 coup, which toppled the civilian government led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar’s most popular politician.