YANGON, Myanmar (AP) – Security forces in Myanmar opened fire and carried out mass arrests on Sunday as they attempted to break protests against the military’s takeover, and a UN human rights official said it had “credible information” that 18 people were killed and 30 were injured.
That would be the highest one-day death toll among protesters demanding that Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government be returned to power after being ousted by a Feb. 1 coup.
“There are reportedly deaths as a result of live ammunition fired at crowds in Yangon, Dawei, Mandalay, Myeik, Bago and Pokokku,” the UN Human Rights Office said in a statement referring to several cities, adding that the armed forces also used tear gas. flash grenades and stun grenades.
“We strongly condemn the escalating violence against protests in Myanmar and call on the military to immediately stop using violence against peaceful protesters,” Ravina Shamdasani said.
An Associated Press journalist was taken into custody Saturday morning while covering the protests. The journalist, Thein Zaw, is still in police custody.
Burma’s Democratic voice reported that as of 5:00 p.m. in Myanmar, there were 19 confirmed deaths in nine cities, and an additional 10 unconfirmed deaths. The independent media company broadcasts on satellite and digital terrestrial television, as well as online.
DVB had five deaths in Yangon and two in Mandalay, the largest and second largest city.
It recorded five deaths in Dawei, a much smaller city in southeastern Myanmar that has seen tens of thousands of protesters almost every day since the coup. Witnesses said Sunday’s march was also great and people were determined not to be driven off the streets.
It is difficult to confirm the deaths of protesters amid the chaos and general lack of news from official sources, especially in areas outside of Yangon, Mandalay and the capital of Naypyitaw. But in many cases, photos and videos showed the circumstances of the murders and gruesome pictures of bodies.
Gunfire had previously been reported during protests in Yangon, as police also fired tear gas and water cannons as they tried to clear the streets. Photos of live ammunition grenade casings used in assault rifles were posted on social media.
Initial reports on social media showed that a young man had been murdered. His body was shown in photos and videos lying on a sidewalk until other protesters took him away.
In Dawei, local media reported that at least three people died in a protest march, supported by photos and video. Photos on social media showed an injured man being monitored by medical personnel.
Before Sunday, there had been eight confirmed reports of killings linked to the takeover of the military, according to the independent Assistance Association of Political Prisoners.
The February 1 coup reversed years of slow progress towards democracy after five decades of military rule. Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party would have been installed for a second five-year term, but the military blocked parliament and detained her and President Win Myint, as well as other top members of Suu Kyi’s government.
On Sunday morning, medical students marched in Yangon near the intersection of the Hledan Center, which has become the rallying point for protesters who then fan out to other parts of the city.
Videos and photos showed protesters running while police attacked them, and residents setting up makeshift roadblocks to slow their advance. Some protesters managed to throw tear gas canisters back to the police. In the neighborhood, residents pleaded with the police to release those they picked up from the street and push them into police cars to be taken away. Dozens or more would be detained.
“The world is following the actions of the military junta in Myanmar and will hold them to account,” said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director of New York-based Human Rights Watch. “Live ammunition should not be used to control or disperse protests, and lethal force can only be used to protect lives or prevent serious injury.”
Security forces began employing rougher tactics on Saturday, taking preventative measures to break protests and making dozens if not hundreds of arrests. More soldiers also joined the police. Many of the detainees were transferred to Insein Prison in Yangon’s northern suburbs, historically notorious for holding political prisoners.
According to the Assistance Association of Political Prisoners, 854 people had been arrested, charged, or convicted in connection with the coup on Saturday, and 771 were held or wanted for arrest. The group said that while it had documented 75 new arrests, it understood that hundreds of other people were also being picked up in Yangon and elsewhere on Saturday.