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Protesters in Myanmar maintained their unwavering opposition to the military government on Sunday (March 21) despite the rise in the death toll at the hands of security forces, as the junta seemed equally determined to resist mounting external pressure to compromise.
One man was killed and several injured when police opened fire on a group erecting a barricade in the central city of Monywa, a doctor said as a community group issued a call on Facebook for blood donations.
The violence has forced determined people to resist a return to military rule after a decade of tentative steps toward democracy to devise novel ways to defend their position.
Protesters in nearly 20 locations across the country staged candlelight protests on Saturday night and Sunday, from the main city of Yangon to small communities in Kachin state to the north and the city further south. from Kawthaung, according to a social media post count. .
Hundreds of people in the second city of Mandalay, including many members of the medical staff in white coats, marched before dawn in a “dawn protest,” a video posted by the Mizzima news portal showed.
“The failure of the military regime, our cause, our cause … federal democracy, our cause, our cause,” the crowd shouted as the sky began to light up and birds sang from the trees that lined the otherwise deserted streets. .
Protesters in some places were joined by Buddhist monks holding candles, while some people used candles to make the shape of the three-finger protest salute.
Others came out later Sunday, including the crowd in Monywa, where police opened fire.
“Sniper, sniper,” people can be heard yelling in a video clip shortly after the man was shot in the head and more shots were heard.
Protesters flee the patrols live in Naypyidaw, Myanmar, on March 20, 2021, in this still image from a social media video obtained by Reuters.
LEE: International pressure on Myanmar generals grows as protesters march, 1 dead
The board’s spokesman was not available for comment, but previously said security forces have used force only when necessary.
With the latest murder, the death toll since the coup rose to at least 248, according to a tally by the activist group Association for Assistance to Political Prisoners.
The army has said that two policemen have been killed in the protests.
“FOREIGN INSULTS”
Western countries have repeatedly condemned the coup and the violence. Asian neighbors, who for years have avoided criticizing each other, have also started to speak up.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo, in some of the strongest remarks yet from a regional leader, said on Friday that the violence should stop immediately. He called for an urgent meeting of the Southeast Asian regional grouping, of which Myanmar is a member.
Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin backed the call saying he was dismayed at the persistent use of deadly violence against civilians. Singapore has also expressed disapproval.
LEE: The use of lethal force by the Myanmar military is ‘disastrous’, but common sense may still prevail: PM Lee
The military has shown no signs of being pressured to back down from its coup, which derailed a slow transition to democracy in a country that was under strict military rule from a 1962 coup until the generals began reforms a decade ago. .
The board says the November 8 elections won by Aung San Suu Kyi’s party were fraudulent, a charge rejected by the electoral commission. Military leaders have promised a new election but have not set a date.
The coup leader, General Min Aung Hlaing, visited the Coco Islands, about 400 kilometers south of Yangon, on Saturday and explained to military officials and nurses why he had taken power, the state broadcaster reported.
The islands lie near some of the world’s most important shipping lanes, in waters where China and India seek to project their power. None of the Asian giants has spoken out strongly against the coup and violence.
Aung San Suu Kyi, 75, faces charges of bribery and other crimes that could result in her being expelled from politics and imprisoned if convicted. His lawyer says the charges are false.
