A seven-year-old girl was killed in her home in Myanmar’s Mandalay city when security forces opened fire on protesters on another day of protests on Tuesday. She is the youngest victim of opposition crackdown on last month’s coup.
A sister of the child told Myanmar Now that she was on her father’s lap inside the house when soldiers shot him dead. Two men were also killed in the municipality, she said.
The military, who run the country, have not commented on the three deaths. At night, candlelight vigils were held in Rangoon, the commercial capital, and other cities.
The military junta has accused protesters of violence in recent weeks of unrest and said it will use as little force as possible to quell daily protests.
Junta spokesman Zaw Min Tun said 164 people have been killed since the protests began. “They are also our citizens,” said the latter, who blamed the protesters for the bloodshed and said nine members of the security forces were also killed.
The militant group of the AAPP (Association for assistance to political prisoners) says that at least 261 people have been victims of repression by the security forces.
“Can we call these protesters peaceful?” The spokesperson said, while showing a video of burning factories – activists started attacking factories linked to China, accusing the country of supporting the military . “What country or organization would consider this peaceful violence?”
The spokesperson’s statement comes a day after the European Union and the United States imposed new sanctions on groups or individuals linked to the February 1 coup that ousted Aung San Suu Kyi from government .
The junta has been condemned by the international community for the coup that interrupted Myanmar’s slow transition to democracy and its murderous crackdown on the protests that followed.
The military alleges that the election won on November 8 by the National League for Democracy (LND), Suu Kyi’s party, was fraudulent – a charge the election commission dismissed. The military leaders promised a new election, but did not set a date and declared a state of emergency.
The council spokesperson also accused the media of publishing “fake news” and causing unrest and said the journalists could be prosecuted if they come into contact with former government officials Suu Kyi.
During the three-hour press conference, he gave details of how the LND had created hundreds, if not thousands, of additional ballots in various districts, making up voters, including in Suu Kyi constituency. herself. Videos of people claiming to be paid by LND representatives were shown.
The LND has denied attempting to defraud the elections.
Video testimony from former Rangoon chief minister Phyo Min Thein was also shown, saying he visited Suu Kyi on several occasions and gave her money “whenever needed.”
Suu Kyi, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 for her campaign to bring democratic civilian government to Myanmar, has been detained since the coup and faces charges which her lawyer said were aimed at the discredit.
The European Union and the United States on Monday imposed sanctions against those involved in the coup and the crackdown on protesters.
Among the 11 people targeted by the EU were General Min Aung Hlaing, commander-in-chief of the army and now head of the junta.
The EU already has an arms embargo on Myanmar and has been targeting some senior military officials since 2018.
Washington had already sanctioned Min Aung Hlaing and the measures announced on Monday widened the list.
Some of Myanmar’s neighbors have also spoken out against the violence.
“We believe that violence against unarmed civilians is unforgivable,” Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said in Kuala Lumpur after talks with her Malaysian counterpart.
He said that although they do not believe in external interference in a country’s internal affairs, “we are ready to do our best to support the people of Myanmar, who in fact deserve much better in the country. to come up”.
The council said it is cooperating with five neighboring countries – Bangladesh, China, India, Laos and Thailand – and that it appreciates and respects its words. Since China has large commercial interests in Myanmar and is a member of the United Nations Security Council, its stance on the crisis is particularly important to the generals.