Global condemnation grows after Myanmar security forces open fire on civilians
Defense chiefs from a dozen countries jointly condemned the bloodbath in Myanmar a day earlier on Sunday, when at least 107 people, including seven children, were killed when security forces opened fire on anti-coup protesters.
Myanmar has been in turmoil since the army toppled and detained civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi on February 1, sparking mass protests demanding a return to democracy.
On Saturday, the junta staged a huge show of power for its annual Armed Forces Day, as the number of victims of repressions since the coup rose to at least 423, according to a local monitoring group.
Defense chiefs of 12 countries, including the United States, Britain, Japan and Australia, condemned the use of deadly force by the Myanmar military against civilians.
“A professional army follows international standards of conduct and is responsible for protecting, not harming, the people it serves,” said the rare joint statement.
“We urge the Myanmar Armed Forces to stop the violence and work to restore respect and credibility with the people of Myanmar who have lost through their actions.”
Funerals were held for some of the victims on Sunday, after the bloodiest day since the coup.
In Mandalay, the family of Aye Ko, a father of four, commemorated his life in a service after he was killed overnight.
“I am very saddened to lose my husband; along with my children, I am heartbroken,” said his wife Ma Khaing. AFP.
Relatives of 13-year-old Sai Waiyan, who was shot on Saturday while playing outside his home in Yangon, wept over his coffin on Sunday afternoon, local media reported.
Despite the dangers, protesters took to the streets again on Sunday in parts of Yangon, including Hlaing, and in the cities of Dawei, Bago, Myingyan and Monywa.
“A girl was shot in the head and died in hospital, while two men were shot and killed on the spot,” said a Monywa rescue worker. AFP.
There was also a death in Myingyan, a woman was killed and two others were injured, a doctor said.
In Hlaing, a 16-year-old boy lost a hand in an explosion, trying to throw a grenade that security forces had thrown at protesters, a rescue worker said.
‘Shameful, cowardly’
The day before there were brutal military repressions in more than 40 places throughout the country. The Mandalay and Yangon regions saw the most deaths, according to the Association for Assistance for Political Prisoners (AAPP).
The United Nations estimated Saturday’s death toll at 107 people, including seven children, but expects it to rise further.
“The shameful, cowardly and brutal actions of the army and police, which have been filmed shooting at protesters as they flee and have not even saved young children, must be stopped immediately,” said United Nations envoys Alice Wairimu. Nderitu and Michelle Bachelet. in a joint return.
Rebels in eastern Myanmar’s Karen state said they had been targeted by airstrikes on Saturday night, hours after the armed ethnic group seized a military base.
Hsa Moo, an ethnic Karen and human rights activist, said three people were killed and at least eight were injured.
It was the first air assault in 20 years in the state and targeted the Fifth Brigade of the Karen National Union (KNU), one of the largest armed groups in the country, which it says represents the Karen ethnic people.
More airstrikes on Sunday sent 2,000 people from two villages in Karen state across the jungle across the border into Thailand in search of safety, Hsa Moo said. AFP.
‘Harmful to the tranquility of the state’
On Saturday there was a large parade of troops and military vehicles in the capital, Naypyidaw, where the leader of the junta, General Min Aung Hlaing, defended the coup and vowed to relinquish power after the new elections.
But he also launched a threat to the anti-coup movement, warning that acts of “terrorism that can be detrimental to the tranquility and security of the state” were unacceptable.
On Saturday night, Min Aung Hlaing and his wife entertained dignitaries, including Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin, at a lavish outdoor dinner in Naypyidaw.
State newspaper el Mirror reported that there were musical performances and a drone display with a representation of Min Aung Hlaing waving.
Armed Forces Day commemorates the start of local resistance to the Japanese occupation during World War II, and generally features a parade attended by foreign military officers and diplomats.
Overnight at the Miss Grand International beauty pageant in Bangkok, a tearful Myanmar contestant, Han Lay, begged for peace.
“I am deeply sorry for all the people who have lost their lives on the streets,” he said in an emotional speech, before singing “Heal the World” by Michael Jackson.
“Please help Myanmar, we need your urgent international help right now.”
She is a freelance blogger, writer, and speaker, and writes for various entertainment magazines.