Dozens killed by security forces

Dozens of people have been killed in a single day under a crackdown by Myanmar security forces on pro-democracy protesters, according to reports.

Violence has escalated in the aftermath of a military coup in the country on February 1 that ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.

DOZENS OF people have been killed in a single day under a crackdown by Myanmar security forces on pro-democracy protesters, according to reports.

Violence has escalated in the aftermath of a coup on February 1 that ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.

Now, amid attacks in the city of Bago on Saturday, an organisation tracking casualties has reported a daily death toll of 82, the largest since March 14 when over 100 people were killed in Yangon.

The coup, as the military seized power and detained elected leader Ms Suu Kyi, has sparked weeks of protest and a retaliation from the regime resulting in bloodshed.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has previously condemned the ousting of the elected government and criticised the “unlawful imprisonment of civilians”.

The UK has also made an offer of safe haven to Myanmar’s former ambassador Kyaw Zwar Minn, who was last week barred from the embassy in London.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab condemned the “bullying” Myanmar regime for their response, with the Foreign Office issuing a statement to say: “Given the bullying behaviour towards Mr Minn, we are seeking to ensure he can live safely in the United Kingdom while he decides his long-term future.

“We continue to call for an end to the coup in Myanmar and a swift restoration of democracy.”

Myanmar’s military has violently cracked down on opponents since the coup, with security forces reportedly killing hundreds of protesters and bystanders.

At least 701 protesters and bystanders have been killed by security forces since the army’s takeover, according to the AAPP.

This weekend’s reports from the Assistance Association for

Political Prisoners (AAPP) of attacks in Bago are backed up by local media, citing an unnamed sources involved with charity rescue work.

Myanmar Now and other independent press said the bodies had been collected by the military and dumped on the grounds of a Buddhist pagoda.

The attack on Bago was the third in the past week involving the massive use of force to try to crush the persistent opposition to the ruling junta.

Attacks were launched on Wednesday on hardcore opponents of military rule who had set up strongholds in the towns of Kalay and Taze in the country’s north. In both places, at least 11 people – potentially including some bystanders – were reported killed.

The security forces were accused of using heavy weapons in their attacks, including rocketpropelled grenades and mortars, though such allegations could not be independently confirmed.

Photographs posted on social media from Bago appeared to show fragments of mortar shells.

A report by Myanmar Now said residents of Tamu, a town in the same region as Kalay, used hunting rifles on Saturday to ambush a military convoy, and claimed to kill three soldiers.

The UN special envoy for Myanmar, Christine Schraner Burgener, arrived on Friday in the Thai capital Bangkok on a regional mission to resolve the crisis in Myanmar.

She intends to sound out several Southeast Asian governments for their ideas but has been denied permission to visit Myanmar.

We continue to call for a swift restoration of democracy. Dominic Raab, Foreign Secretary.