Myanmar security forces used lethal force on protesters and made mass arrests in what’s considered to be the bloodiest day in weeks of demonstrations against a military coup.
FACEBOOK PURGES MYANMAR MILITARY PAGE AMID COUP
At least 18 people were killed on Sunday, as the police opened fire in different parts of the city of Yangon after failing to break up crowds with stun grenades, tear gas, and shots in the air, according to a report by Reuters.
WARNING – GRAPHIC CONTENT: Myanmar police fired at protesters on the bloodiest day of demonstrations against the military coup. At least seven people were killed and several wounded, sources and media said https://t.co/9HhfLXYDLx pic.twitter.com/29W1QaWZfJ
— Reuters (@Reuters) February 28, 2021
On Sunday, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan condemned use of force against peaceful demonstrators in Myanmar, offering solidarity with the country’s people.
“We will continue coordinating closely with allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region and around the world to hold those responsible for violence to account, and to reinforce our support for the people of Burma,” Sullivan said. “To that end, we are preparing additional actions to impose further costs on those responsible for this latest outbreak of violence and the recent coup.”
Myanmar has been in a state of mass unrest since Feb. 1, when the military seized power and detained elected government leader Aung San Suu Kyi and most of her party leadership, alleging fraud gave her a victory in her landslide win in November.
Graphic photos and videos circulating on social media show confrontations between the police and protesters.
One young man identified on social media was believed to have been killed in Yangon. His body was shown in images lying on a sidewalk until other protesters were able to carry him away, according to a report by the Associated Press.
Confirmation of the deaths of protesters has been challenging due to the chaotic nature of the demonstrations and a lack of news from official sources.
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Local media in Dawei, a city in southeastern Myanmar, reported that at least three people were killed during a protest march.
Earlier this month, President Biden announced new sanctions on Myanmar’s military leaders in one of the toughest responses from the United States regarding the coup.
