Details from Myanmar alarming, couple says
A TE Anau couple are fearful for their friends in Myanmar who have told them the military has killed and injured many more protesters than previously known.
Ken and Marg Tustin have been receiving increasingly worrying reports of the Myanmar military’s violent crackdown on citizens protesting this month’s coup, especially in the city where their friends live, Mandalay.
‘‘We’re frightened for them. Our hearts are in our mouths with every message we get from them,’’ Mr Tustin said yesterday.
Protests have been gaining momentum throughout Myanmar since the military overthrew the elected government earlier this month.
At the weekend, huge crowds attended the funeral of a young woman shot in the head during protests in Myanmar’s capital Naypyitaw. It is being reported at least two other people have died in protests.
However, information from the Tustins’ friends, who live in Myanmar’s secondlargest city, puts the death toll in Mandalay alone at nine, in addition to dozens of people with lifethreatening injuries.
Myanmar’s largest city, Yangon, has had the biggest demonstrations since the February 1 coup.
Hundreds of thousands of protesters have called for the restoration of the elected government and the release of its leader Aung San Suu Kyi. To date, the military has not used force against protesters in Yangon.
It is a different story in other centres, including Mandalay.
Mr Tustin flew helicopters in Myanmar in the early 1990s. He and Mrs Tustin had maintained close connections with several friends in Mandalay, they said.
One of those friends had been documenting the anticoup protests and the military’s response, in text, photo and video.
He had been providing the increasingly violent details to the Tustins in the hope it could be shared publicly outside Myanmar, bringing pressure to bear on the coup leaders.
He told them two people died on February 9 when a 4WD was driven in to a crowd of protesters.
Many others were injured, he said.
On February 12, he detailed unverified reports of 23,000 prisoners being released and a textile factory being forced to urgently make 45,000 police uniforms.
He has also mentioned unverified rumours of Chinese soldiers in the country, and reported live bullets being fired into crowds, as well as many more deaths.
Video has emerged of police baton charges, people being beaten and injured people being led off to military vehicles.
The Tustins’ friend said people were determined to not let their country return to the military rule that dominated Myanmar for decades, they said.
‘‘The only weapon they have is information,’’ Mr Tustin said
‘‘Daybyday it is progressively more harrowing.
‘‘It is being sent to us with pleas to tell the world what is happening.’’
YANGON: Businesses shut in Myanmar yesterday in a general strike called to oppose the military coup and thousands of protesters gathered in towns and cities despite a chilling message from the junta that confrontation would cost more lives.
On Sunday, hundreds of people attended the funeral in the capital Naypyitaw of Mya Thwate Thwate Khaing, a young woman who became a symbol of resistance after being shot in the head while protesting two weeks ago.
On Saturday, two more protesters were killed when police opened fire in the city of Mandalay, marking the bloodiest day in the campaign for the restoration of democracy.
Three weeks after seizing power, the junta has failed to stop daily protests and a civil disobedience movement calling for the reversal of the February 1 coup and release of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
Stateowned media MRTV warned protesters against action yesterday.
‘‘Protesters are now inciting the people, especially emotional teenagers and youths, to a path of confrontation where they will suffer loss of life,’’ it said. Htet Htet Hlaing (22) said she was scared and had prayed before joining yesterday’s demonstration, but would not be discouraged.
‘‘We don’t want the junta, we want democracy. We want to create our own future,’’ she said. As well as local stores, international chains announced closures yesterday, including Yum Brands Inc’s KFC and delivery service Food Panda.
Authorities were ‘‘exercising utmost restraint‘‘, the foreign ministry said in a statement. It rebuked some countries for remarks it described as interference in internal affairs.
Several Western countries have condemned the coup and violence against protesters.
United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken said yesterday the US would continue to ‘‘take firm action’’ against authorities violently cracking down on opponents of the coup.
Residents in Yangon said roads to some embassies, including the US embassy, were blocked yesterday. The diplomatic missions have become gathering points for protesters calling for foreign intervention.