Myanmar police make mass arrests

SECURITY forces in Myanmar have made mass arrests and appeared to use lethal force as they intensified their efforts to break up protests a month after the military staged a coup.

There were reports of gunfire as police in Yangon, the country’s biggest city, fired tear gas and water cannons while trying to clear the streets of demonstrators demanding that the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi be restored to power.

Photos of shell casings from live ammunition used in assault rifles were posted on social media, adding to evidence that live rounds were fired.

Reports on social media identified one young man believed to have been killed in Yangon.

His body was shown in photos and videos lying on a pavement until other protesters were able to carry him away.

A violent crackdown also occurred in Dawei, a much smaller city in south-eastern Myanmar, where local media reported at least three people were killed during a protest march.

The fatalities could not immediately be independently confirmed. Confirming reports of protesters’ deaths has been difficult amid the chaos and general lack of official news.

The February 1 army takeover reversed years of slow progress towards democracy after five decades of military rule.

Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party would have been installed for a second five-year term in office, but the army blocked parliament from convening and detained her and President Win Myint, as well as other top members of her government.