Myanmar ‘Blood Saturday’ … 114 deaths, including one-year-old baby injured by rubber bullets

On the 28th in Yangon, Myanmar, protesters against the military coup flee around a burning barricade. [AP=연합뉴스]

On the 27th, at least 114 civilians were killed in 44 cities as the Myanmar military cracked down on peaceful protests, CNN reported, citing local Myanmar Now media. Since the military coup on the 1st of last month, most of the deaths occurred on the day.

One of the deaths in Mandalay, Myanmar’s second largest city, was a 5-year-old boy, Reuters reported, and a one-year-old girl playing near a house in the suburb of Yangon, the largest city, was struck by a rubber bullet in the snow On social media, a photo of the baby’s right eye covered with a bandage is spreading, making netizens unlucky.

According to Burmese media such as Irrawaddy, at least four children between the ages of 5 and 15 were killed by bullets from the army and police that day. According to local media, more than 20 children died in about two months after the military coup. The BBC noted that “the brutality of the military and police in Myanmar on this day was a different dimension than what it had seen since the coup,” and said: “It is painful to count the increasing number of deaths, especially for children “.

UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Myanmar Tom Andrews said: “It is time for the whole world to act.” He stressed that “it sounds empty to the people of Myanmar to express criticism and concern in words as the army continues to slaughter,” he said. “We need to isolate the military from import sources like oil, gas and weapons.” buyers “.

A one-year-old girl wrapped in bandages after being hit by a rubber bullet from the military police near Yangon on the 27th. [사진 미얀마 나우 트위터]

US Secretary of State Tony Blincoln tweeted on the day that “we were surprised by the bloodshed by the Burmese (Myanmar) security forces.” British Foreign Minister Dominique Rab also tweeted that “we will work with our international partners to end this sensational violence.”

Despite criticism from the international community, Myanmar’s military has several friendly forces, Reuters reported. Eight countries, including China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Thailand and Laos, sent diplomatic missions to the ceremony of the ‘Myanmar Army Day’ parade that took place in Naepido, the capital of Myanmar, the Day 27. Among them, China and Russia have not joined in the international condemnation of the massacre by the Myanmar army. The two permanent members of the UN Security Council are in a position to deter action at the UN level.

Supreme Commander Min Aung Hlaing said in a televised speech that day: “Violent acts that damage stability and security are inappropriate and unacceptable.” He repeatedly expressed his intention to hold general elections after the emergency, but did not provide a specific date.

Reporter Seo Yujin [email protected]