Eighteen killed on Myanmar’s bloodiest day in protest of the coup

The deaths took place on Sunday in various cities across the country. In Yangon, Myanmar’s largest city, at least three people were killed by bullet wounds and 16 others were injured, including a 31-year-old man who was in critical condition, according to a senior doctor at the General Hospital. from Yangon who is involved in treating the injured. Four people were also killed in the southern city of Dawei, according to a military-led television ad saying protesters there had disobeyed dispersal orders.

Images of bloodshed, chaos and, in some places, continuous protests flooded social networks, capturing scenes that were corroborated by witnesses. Myanmar news organizations have posted pictures and videos of bloody protesters surrounded by doctors, streets in Yangon full of tear gas and crowds of men and women, many in helmets and glasses, fighting for safety.

Sunday’s police action was not limited to one area or city, starting early in the morning in many parts of the country and signaling a deliberate effort to use more force. The Myanmar Army has a history of deadly crackdowns on pro-democracy protesters, including during the 2007 and 1988 mass demonstrations.

“We strongly condemn the intense violence against protests in Myanmar and call on the military to immediately stop using force against peaceful protesters,” said Ravina Shamdasani, a spokeswoman for the UN Office for Human Rights.

Protesters are demanding that the February 1 coup, which ended Myanmar’s long-standing transition to democracy, be reversed and that civilian politicians be brought back to power. Their marches and rallies have increased in the past three weeks, attracting hundreds of thousands in a few days, including students, factory workers, bank employees, traders, tea vendors and civil servants.

Authorities imposed nighttime disruptions on the Internet and detained hundreds, including politicians, activists, protesters and some journalists. More than 470 people were detained on Saturday and more than 570 on Sunday, according to state television. Before Sunday, three people had died in connection with the coup – one in the capital, Naypyitaw, after a bullet fractured his skull and two at a demonstration at a shipyard in the center of Mandalay.

The United States has repeatedly called on the Myanmar army to relinquish power, release those detained and restore the democratically elected government of Myanmar.

The US Embassy in Myanmar issued a statement condemning Sunday’s violence. “We are heartbroken to see the loss of so many lives in Myanmar,” the statement said on Twitter. “People should not face violence because they have expressed their dissent against the military coup. Targeting civilians is ugly. “

The crackdown, recorded and widely circulated in Myanmar on social media, makes the country’s already uncertain path full of life, with the army showing no signs of compromise. Many fear that an even harder response could emerge, as authorities accuse protesters of spreading anarchy and breaking the law. Before loosening their grip a decade ago, generals controlled Myanmar for half a century, despite years of international sanctions and pressure.

The now-responsible military leaders have said they intend to hold elections, but few protesters believe such a vote, if it took place, would be free or fair. They demand that the national elections held in November, in which the country’s pro-democracy party defeat its military-backed opponent by a huge margin, be honored and pledged to continue the demonstrations despite the bloodshed.

Human Rights Watch condemned Sunday’s violence, saying the “clear escalation of the use of lethal force” was outrageous and unacceptable. “People are following the actions of the Myanmar military junta and will hold them accountable,” he said.

Hein Ya Za, a 29-year-old activist from Yangon, was on the front lines of a protest in the city’s Hledan district. When he arrived on Sunday morning, he said, police were ready and had already begun to corner protesters as they approached the smaller side streets. Soon, authorities fired tear gas canisters into the crowd and fired shots, prompting many to run to nearby houses for shelter.

“It was chaotic, very hard to breathe,” he said. “It simply came to our notice then. We just washed our eyes and noses with Coca-Cola,

some people used milk and continued. ”

When police began firing live, 22-year-old protester Soe Lay fled as quickly as he could on a side street, he said. From there, he saw a man hit by bullets and fall to the ground, where he lay motionless. Later that day, Mr. Soe Lay returned to the scene and found a small memorial for the man, which fellow protesters said died.

Maung Win, 48, arrived at the scene after the shootings stopped to help the injured at the hospital. At least half a dozen people appeared injured, including a young man bleeding from his right shoulder. Mr. Maung Win accompanied him to the hospital, alerting the man’s wife to the incident. Doctors said the 26-year-old, who works at a noodle factory, needed surgery, his wife said.

In another Yangon neighborhood, 31-year-old Ju Jue said he heard at least three gunshots as he prepared to leave his home for Sunday’s protest. Her mother ran to the window of their apartment and shouted, “Please don’t shoot the young people!”

Ms. Ju Jue and her brother volunteered to maintain security at the protest and prepared to take to the streets armed only with sticks. Instead, they remained inside until the chaos outside subsided. The organizers of the protests then called the crowds to meet about an hour later.

“They have disrupted the internet, arrested people, shot people, we cannot accept this,” said Ju Jue.

In the smaller town of Dawei, police rushed to the center of an intersection where protesters gathered, splitting them into two large crowds and firing in both directions, said No No, a 29-year-old man working for a woman nonprofit rights. Protesters there had no protective equipment seen in big cities, such as Yangon: no raincoats, helmets or goggles, she said.

They ran frantically to the houses that opened their doors to help them. Mrs. No Nu ran inside a house and climbed the stairs safely, while others stirred around. She spent the rest of the day collecting tear gas canisters, bullets and photographic evidence of the attack on the protesters.

“We tried to protect ourselves, but you can’t protect yourself from real bullets,” she said.

Write to Niharika Mandhana at [email protected] and Feliz Solomon at [email protected]