Security forces kill two more at coup protests
MANDALAY, Myanmar — Security forces fatally shot two people in northern Myanmar on Monday, local media reported, as the military government continued its attempt to stamp out opposition to its Feb. 1 coup.
The Irrawaddy newspaper said the victims were shot in the head during coup protests in Myitkyina in Kachin State. Graphic video on social media showed protesters in the street backing away from tear gas, responding with rocks, then fleeing after a fusillade of what appeared to be automatic gunfire.
Demonstrators hurriedly carried away a number of injured people, including one apparent fatality, a person who had sustained a severe head wound. A second body was seen later on a stretcher, his head covered with a cloth.
To date, the government’s violent crackdown has left more than 50 protesters dead. At least 18 people were fatally shot on Sunday last week and 38 last Wednesday, according to the U.N. Human Rights Office.
Security forces also clamped down on protesters elsewhere Monday, firing tear gas to break up a crowd of about 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.
Thousands of protesters who marched in Mandalay, the country’s secondlargest city, dispersed on their own amid fears that soldiers and police were planning to use force to break up their demonstration.
Meanwhile, an armed force from one of Myanmar’s ethnic groups deployed to protect marchers in the wake of a brutal junta crackdown. The unit from the Karen National Police Force (KNPF) arrived shortly after dawn to accompany about 2,000 protesters near Myitta in southeastern Myanmar. They carried firearms as they marched ahead of the column down rural roads.
The Karen force is under the control of the Karen National Union, one of many ethnic organizations that have been fighting for greater autonomy from the central government for decades.
Largescale protests have occurred daily across many cities and towns in Myanmar since the country’s military seized power, and security forces have responded with increased use of lethal force and mass arrests.
On Monday evening, the military government announced that the licenses of five local media outlets — Mizzima, DVB, Khit Thit Media, Myanmar Now and 7Day News — have been canceled.
“These media companies are no longer allowed to broadcast or write or give information by using any kind of media platform or using any media technology,” it said on state broadcaster MRTV.
Late Sunday, Australia suspended its defense cooperation with Myanmar and is redirecting humanitarian aid in the country because of the military takeover.