YANGON: Opponents of Myanmar’s coup protested again on Saturday and international pressure on the military junta to halt its repression of democracy supporters increased, with Asian neighbours joining Western countries in condemning lethal force.
A young man was shot and killed in one of the most turbulent neighbourhoods of the main city of Yangon, a resident and media reported, taking the death toll since the February 1 coup to 238, according to a tally by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners activist group.
The bloodshed has not quelled public abhorrence for the return of military rule and anger over the ouster of the elected government and the detention of its leader, Aung San Suu Kyi.
But some activists say they have had to adapt tactics.
“We protest where there are no police or military, then when we hear they’re coming, we disperse quickly,” campaigner Kyaw Min Htike said from Dawei in the south before he and others staged a brief rally outside the town centre.
“I don’t want to lose a single one of my comrades but we’ll protest any way we can until our revolution prevails.”
Some groups gather at night with candles and placards, then melt away after taking photographs. People also stage “unmanned” protests, with rows of placards with messages like “We will never stop until we get democracy” set up on a street.
On Saturday, dozens of demonstrators gathered in the second city of Mandalay. Several were injured when a vehicle drove into them and when police fired rubber bullets, a city news portal reported. It was not clear why the vehicle hit the protesters.
There were small protests in other towns, including Kyaukme and Hsipaw in the northeast, Kawlin in the north, Hpa-an and Myawaddy in the east, Labutta in the Irrawaddy river delta, Myeik in the south and the central town of Yay Oo, according to news portals and social media images.
Hundreds marched in the town of Monywa and burned a copy of the 2008 constitution, which was drafted under military supervision and limits the powers of elected civilians, the Irrawaddy news portal reported.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned what he called the military’s continuing brutal violence. A “firm, unified international response” was urgently needed, his spokesman quoted as saying. — Reuters
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