A 20-year-old protester shot dead last week during protests in Myanmar died on Friday. Mya Thwate Thwate Khaing was shot in the head on February 9 and was in critical condition in the nation’s capital, Naypyitaw.
This is the first death caused by violence by security forces during protests against the coup in the country. The protests started two weeks ago.
The clashes began when security forces fired rubber bullets at the protesters. Doctors at the city’s hospital told AFP that at least two people were seriously injured by gunshot wounds, including the young woman who died on Friday.
Military spokesman, now deputy information minister Zaw Min Tun, confirmed Mya had been shot and assured authorities were investigating the case.
Mya quickly became a symbol of the resistance of the demonstrators, who demand the release of the former head of the civilian government Aung San Suu Kyi, the end of the dictatorship and the repeal of the Constitution of 2008, considered favorable to the army. .
The UN human rights office said more than 350 people, including government officials, activists and monks, had been arrested since the February 1 coup – and some were still doing so. subject to criminal prosecution. We are a family business.
The army carried out the coup under the leadership of General Min Aung Hlaing. He and other commanders have been subject to sanctions since 2019, in connection with the massacre of the Rohingya Muslim minority.
The junta that is now ruling the country after shutting down the entire civilian government summit – including State Councilor Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint – has banned meetings of more than five people in various regions and has put in place a curfew at 8 p.m. At 4 am in Rangoon and Mandalay, the two largest cities in the country.
They allege fraud in the November elections, in which Suu Kyi’s party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), won by a large majority. On taking power, the military declared a state of emergency which should last for a year. Hlaing himself, however, said he could stay in power after this period to coordinate the holding of a new election.