Eighteen dead on Myanmar’s bloodiest day of protest since the coup

The deaths occurred on Sunday in different cities across the country. In Yangon, Myanmar’s largest city, at least three people were killed by gunshot wounds and another 16 were injured, including a 31-year-old man who was in critical condition, according to a senior doctor at Yangon General Hospital. who participates in the treatment of the wounded. Four people were also killed in the southern city of Dawei, according to a military-led television ad that protesters had not complied with the dispersal orders.

Images of bloodshed, chaos and, in some places, continued protests flooded social media, capturing scenes that were corroborated by witnesses. Myanmar news organizations posted images and videos showing bloody protesters surrounded by doctors, streets in Yangon full of tear gas and crowds of men and women, many wearing helmets and glasses, fighting for security.

Sunday’s police action was not limited to one area or city, which began early in the morning in many parts of the country and indicated a deliberate effort to use a larger force. Myanmar’s army has a history of deadly crackdowns on pro-democracy protesters, including the 2007 and 1988 mass demonstrations.

“We strongly condemn the escalation of violence against protests in Myanmar and call on the military to immediately stop the use of force against peaceful protesters,” said Ravina Shamdasani, a spokeswoman for the UN Office of Human Rights.

Protesters are calling for a reversal of the February 1 coup that ended Myanmar’s decadent transition to democracy, and for civilian politicians to return to power. Their marches and meetings have grown over the past three weeks, reaching hundreds of thousands a few days, including students, factory workers, bank employees, shopkeepers, tea vendors and officials.

Authorities have imposed nighttime blackouts on the Internet and arrested hundreds, including politicians, activists, protesters and some journalists. More than 470 people were arrested on Saturday and more than 570 on Sunday, according to state television. Earlier on Sunday, three people had died in connection with the coup: one in the capital, Naypyitaw, after a bullet fractured his skull and two in a demonstration at a shipyard in the central city of Mandalay.

The US has repeatedly called on the Myanmar military to relinquish power, release detainees and restore democratically elected government in Myanmar.

The U.S. embassy in Myanmar issued a statement condemning Sunday’s violence. “We are heartbroken to see the loss of so many lives in Myanmar,” the statement said on Twitter. “People should not suffer violence to express their dissent against the military coup. The orientation of civilians is unpleasant.

The crackdown, recorded and widely circulated in Myanmar on social media, makes the country’s already uncertain path fuller, with no signs of commitment from the military. Many fear an even heavier response may come, as authorities accuse protesters of spreading anarchy and breaking the law. Before loosening control a decade ago, generals controlled Myanmar for half a century, despite years of paralyzing international sanctions and pressure.

Military leaders now in office have said they plan to hold elections, but few protesters believe any such vote, if made, would be free or fair. They demand that the national elections held in November, in which the pro-democratic party of the country defeated its opponent with military support by a huge margin, be elected, and pledged to continue the demonstrations despite the bloodshed.

Human Rights Watch condemned Sunday’s violence and said the “clear escalation in the use of lethal force” was outrageous and unacceptable. “The world is watching the actions of the Myanmar military junta and will hold them accountable,” he said.

Hein Ya Za, a 29-year-old activist in Yangon, was on the front lines of a protest in the city’s Hledan neighborhood. When he arrived Sunday morning, he said, police were ready and had already begun to corner protesters as they approached smaller side streets. Shortly afterwards, authorities fired tear gas canisters at the crowds and fired shots, prompting many to rush to nearby homes offering shelter.

“It was chaotic, it was very hard to breathe,” he said. “It simply came to our notice then. We just washed our eyes and noses with Coca-Cola,

some people used milk and kept going. “

When police began firing live, protester Soe Lay, 22, ran as fast as he could toward a side street, he said. From there, he saw a man being hit by bullets and falling to the ground, where he stood motionless. Later, Mr. Soe Lay returned to the site and found a small memorial for the man, who protesters said had died.

Maung Win, 48, arrived at the scene after the shooting was stopped to help the injured at the hospital. At least half a dozen people appeared injured, including a young man bleeding from his right shoulder. Mr. Maung Win accompanied him to the hospital, alerting the man’s wife about the incident. Doctors said the 26-year-old, who works at a noodle factory, needed surgery, his wife said.

In a different neighborhood in Yangon, 31-year-old Ju Jue said he heard at least three gunshots as he prepared to leave his home for Sunday’s protest. Her mother ran to the window of her apartment and shouted, “Please don’t shoot the young men!”

Ms. Ju Jue and her brother had volunteered to keep security at the protest and were preparing to take to the streets armed only with sticks. Instead, they remained inside until the outside chaos had subsided. Organizers of the protest then asked the crowds to gather about an hour later.

“They cut the Internet, they arrest people, they shoot people, we can’t accept that,” Ms. Ju Jue said.

In the smaller town of Dawei, police stormed the center of an intersection where protesters had gathered, splitting them into two large crowds and firing shots in both directions, said Nu Nu, a 29-year-old man. years working for nonprofit women rights. Protesters there had none of the protective gear seen in major cities like Yangon: no raincoats, no helmets or glasses, he said.

They ran frantically to houses that had opened their doors to help them. Mrs. Nu Nu ran into a house and climbed the stairs to protect herself while others mingled around. He spent the rest of the day collecting tear gas drums, bullets and photographic evidence of the attack on protesters.

“We tried to protect ourselves, but you can’t protect yourself from real bullets,” he said.

Write to Niharika Mandhana at [email protected] and Feliz Solomon at [email protected]