Security forces fire at Myanmar protests after the deadliest day since the coup

(Reuters) – Myanmar security forces fired on pro-democracy protesters on Monday, killing six people, media and witnesses said, a day after dozens of protesters were shot dead and attackers set several Chinese-funded factories on fire. in the city of Yangon.

Supporters of detained democratic leader Aung San Suu Kyi marched again, including in the second city of Mandalay and in the central cities of Myingyan and Aunglan, where the police opened fire, witnesses and the media reported.

“A girl was shot in the head and a boy was shot in the face,” an 18-year-old protester in Myingyan told Reuters by telephone. “Now I’m hiding.”

The Myanmar Now media reported that three people were killed in Myingyan and two in Aunglan, while a journalist in Mandalay said one person was shot dead after a large-scale protest took place peacefully.

Protesters took to the streets in defiance of the authorities, whose increasing use of violence resulted in dozens of people killed on Sunday, the bloodiest day since the February 1 coup that ousted Suu Kyi.

State broadcaster MRTV reported that martial law was enforced in several districts of Yangon, the commercial center of Myanmar, and Myanmar Now later reported that it had also been enforced in various parts of Mandalay.

Sunday’s arson attacks sparked China’s strongest comments about the turmoil plaguing its Southeast Asian neighbor, where many people see Beijing as a supporter of the coup.

The Chinese newspaper Global Times said 32 factories with Chinese investments were “vandalized in violent attacks” that caused $ 37 million in damage and injuries to two Chinese officials, while its embassy asked Myanmar generals to stop the violence.

“We hope that the Myanmar authorities can take other relevant and effective measures to ensure the safety of the lives and assets of Chinese companies and personnel,” said Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian in Beijing.

Japan, which has long competed for influence in Myanmar with China, said it is monitoring the situation and considering how to respond in terms of economic cooperation.

The worst of Sunday’s bloodshed occurred in the Yangon suburb of Hlaingthaya, where security forces killed at least 37 protesters after the attacks on the factory, said a local doctor, who declined to be named.

At least 16 people were killed elsewhere, said the human rights group Association for Assistance to Political Prisoners (AAPP), as well as a police officer.

The deaths bring the number of protests to about 140, based on an AAPP count and the latest reports.

A spokesman for the board did not respond to calls for comment.

In an apparent attempt to suppress news of the turmoil, telecommunications service providers have been forced to block all mobile data across the country, two sources with knowledge of the matter said. Telecom Telenor said in a statement that “the mobile internet was not available”.

The army said it took power after its accusations of fraud in the November 8 elections, won by Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD), were rejected by the electoral commission. He promised to hold a new election, but did not set a date.

DELAYED COURT SESSION

Suu Kyi, 75, has been detained since the coup and faces several charges, including illegal importation of walkie-talkie radios and violation of coronavirus protocols. Last week, a charge related to the acceptance of illegal payments was added to the list.

She was due to face another virtual hearing on Monday, but her lawyer, Khin Maung Zaw, told Reuters that the session could not proceed because the internet was down. The next hearing will be on March 24, he said.

Khin Maung Zaw also said that the authorities informed him that the Nobel Prize held would only be allowed to be represented by two junior lawyers.

Western countries have called for the release of Suu Kyi and have condemned the violence, and Asian neighbors have offered to help resolve the crisis, but Myanmar has a long history of rejecting outside interventions.

Tom Andrews, the United Nations human rights investigator in Myanmar, called on UN member countries to cut off the supply of money and weapons to the military.

The International Labor Organization said that union members were arrested and chased in door-to-door searches while others hid. The International Trade Union Confederation has reported widespread restrictions on workers’ rights since the coup.

Anti-China sentiment has increased since the coup, fueled by Beijing’s muffled criticism of the takeover compared to Western condemnation. But protest leader Thinzar Shunlei Yi said that the people of Myanmar do not hate their Chinese neighbors, although their rulers have to understand the outrage felt by their position.

“The Chinese government must stop supporting the coup council if they really care about Sino-Myanmar relations and to protect their business,” she said on Twitter.

Tom Andrews, the United Nations human rights investigator in Myanmar, called on UN member countries to cut off the supply of money and weapons to the military.

The International Labor Organization said union members were arrested and harassed in door-to-door searches while others were in hiding. The International Trade Union Confederation has reported widespread restrictions on workers’ rights since the coup.