YANGON, Myanmar (AP) – Myanmar security forces opened fire and made mass arrests on Sunday as they tried to break protests against the military’s takeover, and a UN human rights official said he had ” credible information ”that 18 people were killed and 30 were injured.
This is said to be the highest death toll in a single day among protesters demanding that Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government be brought back to power after he was ousted in a February 1 coup.
“The deaths were reportedly due to live ammunition dumped in crowds in Yangon, Dawei, Mandalay, Myeik, Bago and Pokokku,” the UN Human Rights Bureau said in a statement on several cities, adding that the forces also tear gas, flash-bang grenades and stun grenades.
“We strongly condemn the intense violence against protests in Myanmar and call on the military to immediately stop using force against peaceful protesters,” said its spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani.
An Associated Press reporter was taken into police custody on Saturday morning while providing news of the protests. The journalist, Thein Zaw, remains in police custody.
Burma’s Democratic Voice reported that since 5 pm in Myanmar, there have been 19 confirmed deaths in nine cities, with another 10 unconfirmed deaths. The independent media company broadcasts satellite and digital terrestrial television, as well as online.
DVB counted five deaths in Yangon and two in Mandalay, the largest and second largest city.
It recorded five deaths in Dawei, a much smaller city in southeastern Myanmar, which has seen tens of thousands of protesters almost every day since the coup. Witnesses said Sunday’s march was also large and people were determined not to be driven from the streets.
Confirming the death of protesters has been difficult amid chaos and a general lack of news from official sources, especially in areas outside Yangon, Mandalay and the capital Naypyitaw. But in many cases, the photos and videos released showed the circumstances of the killings and terrible photos of the bodies.
Gunfire was reported earlier during protests in Yangon, as police also fired tear gas and water cannons as they tried to clear the streets. Photos with live ammunition cases used in assault rifles were posted on social networks.
Initial reports on social networks identified a young man who is believed to have been killed. His body was shown in photos and videos lying on a sidewalk until other protesters took him.
In Dawei, local media reported that at least three people were killed during a protest march, backed by photos and videos. Photos on social networks showed an injured person in the care of the medical staff.
Prior to Sunday, there were eight confirmed reports of killings related to the takeover of the army, according to the Independent Association for the Assistance of Political Prisoners.
The February 1 coup reversed years of slow progress towards democracy after five decades of military rule. Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party was reportedly installed for a second five-year term, but the military blocked parliament from convening and detained President and President Win Myint, as well as other top members. of the Suu Kyi government.
On Sunday morning, medical students marched in Yangon near the intersection of the Hledan Center, which became a rallying point for protesters who then headed to other parts of the city.
Videos and photos showed protesters running while the police charged them, and residents setting up makeshift blockades to slow their advance. Some protesters managed to throw tear gas canisters at police. Nearby, residents asked police to release those they picked up from the street and push them into police trucks to be taken. Dozens or more were believed to have been detained.
“People are following the actions of the military junta in Myanmar and will hold them accountable,” said Phil Robertson, deputy director in Asia for Human Rights Watch in New York. “Live ammunition should not be used to control or disperse protests, and lethal force can only be used to protect life or prevent serious injury.”
Security forces began using harsher tactics on Saturday, taking precautionary measures to break up the protests and made dozens, if not hundreds, of arrests. A larger number of soldiers also joined the police. Many of those detained were taken to Insein Prison on the northern outskirts of Yangon, historically known for holding political prisoners.
According to the Association for the Assistance of Political Prisoners, as of Saturday, 854 people had been arrested, charged or convicted at some point in connection with the coup, and 771 were detained or requested to be arrested. The group said that although it had documented 75 new arrests, it understood that hundreds of others were also picked up on Saturday in Yangon and elsewhere.