Two Killed; 20 Injured in Myanmar Protests
Tens of thousands of protesters in Mandalay are still demonstrating against the military coup despite the violent deaths of 2 men on Saturday. (Wikimedia).
At least two protesters were killed and 20 injured when police opened fire in Mandalay, Myanmar’s second largest city, on Friday. Although not the first deaths among the demonstrators, they do indicate the increasingly violent methods used to stifle them. Hundreds of thousands of citizens in Myanmar have been protesting the military coup that occurred on February 1, which deposed the democratic government headed by Aung San Suu Kyi.
Friday marked the bloodiest day of the Myanmar protests, which have gone on for 16 days. Myanmar police opened fire at a shipyard raid in Mandalay as demonstrators tried to impede the arrest of workers participating in civil disobedience against the coup. Casualties included a middle-aged man and a teenage boy. More than a dozen people were arrested as a result of the clash. This crackdown has not deterred protesters, who still showed up in throngs on Sunday in cities all across Myanmar.
Doctors, engineers, and other professionals have also participated in the wide-ranging civil disobedience movement, refusing to work until democracy is restored. According to Al Jazeera’s Tony Cheng, “the campaign of civil disobedience appears to be having a fairly profound impact [...] that’s affecting the transport systems and the banking systems particularly badly.”
The first casualty of these protests was a 20-year old woman named Mya Thweh Thweh Khine, who was shot in the head on February 9 in Naypyidaw and passed away Friday. Demonstrators paid tribute to her by creating a memorial wreathed with yellow flowers in Yangon, Myanmar’s largest city. Many, especially in Mandalay, have held up signs commemorating Khine and her sacrifice as they carry on with the movement.
While protests in Yangon have remained largely peaceful, cities including Mandalay, Myitkyina, and the capital city of Naypyidaw have seen violent confrontations. The police and military have used tear gas, water cannons, rubber bullets, slingshots, and even live rounds. Some have gone so far as to beat protesters. The UN special rapporteur for Myanmar, Thomas Andrews, has received reports that the 33rd Light Infantry Division, which was responsible for the brutal campaign against the Rohingya, is involved with these violent clashes.
Activists and protesters also live in fear of arbitrary arrests and threats at night. The military broke into the Student Union offices in Mandalay and has raided many civilians’ homes. According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, the military arrested more than 569 people during the protests. One prominent detainee was the actor Lu Min, who was taken forcibly from his home on Sunday morning. The military has also imposed nationwide internet blackouts every night for the past week, increasing the risk of a nighttime raid.
The international community has expressed its outrage at the violence used against peaceful protesters in Myanmar. The United States, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom have already announced sanctions against Myanmar military officials, and the European Union has reportedly been moving in the same direction. UN Secretary General António Guterres has repeated his call for the Myanmar military to accept the results of the November election and stand down. Facebook has deleted the Tatmadaw True News Information Team Page, which belonged to the military’s propaganda agency, for inciting violence.