• About Us
    • Fact Checking Policy
    • Ownership & funding information
    • Volunteer
  • Subscribe
  • Letter submission
    • Submissions Policy
  • Contact Us
The Online Citizen Asia
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Letters
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Singapore
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
    • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Politics
    • Civil Society
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
No Result
View All Result
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Letters
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Singapore
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
    • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Politics
    • Civil Society
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
No Result
View All Result
The Online Citizen Asia
No Result
View All Result

Security forces open fire on protesters in Myanmar’s east

by The Online Citizen
25/03/2021
in Asia, Politics
Reading Time: 3 mins read
1
Security forces open fire on protesters in Myanmar’s east

Myanmar police opens fire on anti-coup protesters/AFP.

Security forces opened fire Thursday on anti-coup protesters in Myanmar’s eastern Karen state, as demonstrators took to the streets in nationwide dawn rallies to demand a return to democracy.

The military junta has unleashed a deadly wave of violence as it struggles to quell nationwide protests against the 1 February ouster and arrest of civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

But protesters have continued calling for the military to step down, defying nighttime curfews to stage candlelight vigils for the dead, and taking to the streets early in dawn marches to avoid security forces.

In the city of Hpa-An in Karen state, protesters were preparing sandbags around 6:00am on Thursday (2330 GMT Wednesday) when scores of soldiers and police swooped in and tried to clear the streets using stun grenades.

“After that, they shot with rubber bullets as well as real bullets, about 50 shots,” a protester told AFP by phone.

“A student got shot in the thigh by a live round and is now receiving medical treatment.”

A local resident confirmed the crackdown to AFP, saying it started before the protest had got under way.

Despite the police action, protesters in Hpa-An continued staging impromptu gatherings throughout the day, driving through the town and flashing the three-finger salute — a sign of resistance against the junta.

Dawn protests

Early-bird protesters were also out in parts of Myanmar’s commercial hub Yangon, marching with red balloons at dawn with signs saying “Get out terrorist dictator”, according to local media.

In the country’s second largest city Mandalay, scores of health workers paraded through the streets at dawn carrying flags.

Thursday’s protests followed a day of “silent strikes” on Wednesday that left the streets of Yangon and other major centres deserted.

Overnight, a village south of Mandalay used candles to show support for a group of ousted MPs — called the Committee for Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (CRPH), the Burmese word for “parliament” — working underground against the junta.

The junta has banned the group, announcing that any involvement with them is akin to “high treason”.

State-run media also reported Thursday that police had arrested 14 Yangon youths caught fleeing the city for territories in Myanmar’s east, which are controlled by ethnic armed militias.

So far, hundreds have fled to Karen state, where the rebel Karen National Union has sheltered hundreds of anti-coup activists escaping the junta.

More than 280 people have been killed, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners — a local monitoring group tracking the death toll and arrests.

But the junta puts the death toll as much lower at 164, and has branded the victims as “violent terrorist people”.

Unrestricted access for UN

International condemnation from the UN, United States and former colonial power Britain has done little to quell the violent crackdowns.

There are fears that Saturday — Myanmar’s Armed Forces Day, usually marked with a parade in Naypyidaw — could be a flashpoint.

On Wednesday the United Nations Human Rights Council expressed grave concern over human rights violations and reiterated that those responsible should be held to account.

The resolution called for Myanmar to allow UN monitoring officials unrestricted access to assess the country and for the junta to free all those arbitrarily detained — including Suu Kyi and President Win Myint.

“We remain concerned at ongoing arbitrary arrests, including of journalists and civil society leaders,” deputy UN spokesman Farhan Haq said.

But the junta-appointed deputy foreign minister Kyaw Myo Htut hit back in a pre-recorded video, state media reported.

He said Myanmar’s sovereignty had to be respected and UN meddling could bring “serious impediments on the efforts for bringing peace.”

– AFP

For just US$7.50 a month, sign up as a subscriber on The Online Citizen Asia (and enjoy ads-free experience on our site) to support our mission to transform TOC into an alternative mainstream press.
Source: AFP
Tags: AFPMyanmar

Related Posts

Chinese property giant Evergrande under ‘tremendous pressure’
China

Chinese property giant Evergrande under ‘tremendous pressure’

14/09/2021
Australia’s capital Canberra to enter virus lockdown
Health

Virus lockdown extended for Australia’s capital

14/09/2021
Activism in Crisis submits ‘solidarity’ heat map of S’pore residents calling for Govt to reject Myanmar military junta
Asia

Activism in Crisis submits ‘solidarity’ heat map of S’pore residents calling for Govt to reject Myanmar military junta

14/09/2021
Messenger RNA COVID vaccines 66% effective against Delta: US study
Health

UK to vaccinate over 12s against COVID

14/09/2021
Politics

Facebook shields VIPs from some of its rules: report

14/09/2021
Malaysian PM, opposition in deal to boost stability
Malaysia

Malaysian PM, opposition in deal to boost stability

14/09/2021
Subscribe
Connect withD
Login
I allow to create an account
When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
DisagreeAgree
Notify of
Connect withD
I allow to create an account
When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
DisagreeAgree
1 Comment
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Latest posts

Mrs Teo says SG continues to invest in training local talent while MNCs transfer staff to work in SG

Mrs Teo says SG continues to invest in training local talent while MNCs transfer staff to work in SG

27/01/2023
One third of Amazon ‘degraded’ by human activity, drought: study

One third of Amazon ‘degraded’ by human activity, drought: study

27/01/2023
Luxembourg court sets aside Sulu heirs’ attachment order to enforce US$15b claim against Malaysia

Luxembourg court sets aside Sulu heirs’ attachment order to enforce US$15b claim against Malaysia

27/01/2023
Philippines to appeal ICC resumption of drug war probe

Philippines to appeal ICC resumption of drug war probe

27/01/2023

ASEAN governments must stop using ‘lawfare’ against critics, Southeast Asian MPs say

27/01/2023
Low Yen Ling says MTI and MAS don’t expect persistent inflation but they now say inflation projected to “stay elevated”

Low Yen Ling says MTI and MAS don’t expect persistent inflation but they now say inflation projected to “stay elevated”

27/01/2023
Malaysian court sentences man to 1,050 years’ jail, 24 strokes of the cane, for raping stepdaughter 105 times

Thai court jails activist for 28 years jail for royal defamation

26/01/2023
Earning only S$400 a month, delivery-rider turned hawker threw in the towel after two years of running a rojak stall

Earning only S$400 a month, delivery-rider turned hawker threw in the towel after two years of running a rojak stall

26/01/2023

Trending posts

Two Indian nationals paid about S$330 and S$730 respectively for forged certificates submitted in their S-Pass application

MOM found issuing EPs meant for foreign PMETs to PRC waitress and general worker

by Correspondent
26/01/2023
32

...

Ho Ching breaks silence over Temasek’s write down of its US$275 million investment in FTX, says it “can afford to be contrarian”

US regulator questions VCs’ due diligence work prior to investing in FTX; Ho Ching says Temasek can afford to be contrarian

by The Online Citizen
24/01/2023
28

...

Indian rupee falls 60% since signing of CECA while Singapore becomes top investor in India

by Correspondent
25/01/2023
46

...

Security forces open fire on protesters in Myanmar’s east

Security forces open fire on protesters in Myanmar’s east

by The Online Citizen
25/03/2021
1

...

“党籍不会过期失效”  前进党称已就党籍终止知会卡拉

AGC asked to explain purposes of 68 private letters of inmates illegitimately forwarded to prosecutors

by The Online Citizen
21/01/2023
16

...

Temasek and GIC reportedly in talks with Adani Group accused of “brazen” market manipulation and accounting fraud

Temasek and GIC reportedly in talks with Adani Group accused of “brazen” market manipulation and accounting fraud

by The Online Citizen
26/01/2023
32

...

March 2021
M T W T F S S
1234567
891011121314
15161718192021
22232425262728
293031  
« Feb   Apr »
  • About Us
  • Subscribe
  • Letter submission
  • Contact Us

© 2006 - 2021 The Online Citizen

No Result
View All Result
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Civil Society
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
  • Politics
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
  • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Subscribers login

© 2006 - 2021 The Online Citizen

wpDiscuz