Mandalay (Myanmar): Security forces shot dead Monday two people in northern Myanmar, local media reported. This is a part of the military government’s continuous attempt to stamp out opposition to its February 1 coup. The military government has come down heavily on protesters since it took over power.
‘The Irrawaddy’ newspaper said the victims were shot in the head during anti-coup protests in Myitkyina in Kachin State. Graphic video on social media showed protesters in the street backing away from tear gas. Then they are seen responding with rocks and then fleeing after a fusillade of what seemed to be automatic gunfire.
Demonstrators hurriedly carried away a number of casualties, including one apparent fatality. It was a person who had clearly sustained a severe head wound. A second body was seen a little later, on a stretcher, his head covered with a cloth.
Security forces also clamped down on anti-coup protesters elsewhere Monday, firing tear gas to break up a crowd of around 1,000 people who were demonstrating in the capital, Naypyitaw. The protesters deployed fire extinguishers to create a smoke screen as they fled from authorities.
Meanwhile, thousands of protesters marching in Mandalay, the country’s second-largest city, dispersed on their own amid fears that soldiers and police were planning to use force to break up their demonstration.
Large-scale protests have occurred daily across many cities and towns in Myanmar since the country’s military seized power. Security forces have responded with ever greater use of lethal force and mass arrests.
The coup and its violent aftermath have led foreign governments and international organisations to impose measures against Myanmar’s military leaders.