Burmese military warns protesters may suffer ‘loss of life’ ahead of planned mass strike

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“We see that the demonstrators raised their incitement to riot and anarchy on February 22. Protesters are now urging people, especially teens and emotional young people, on a path of confrontation where they will suffer the loss of their lives. The State Administration Council – the name of the military junta now controlling the country – said Sunday evening on state-owned MRTV broadcaster.

A social media video Sunday night and Monday morning showed barbed wire blocking roads to some foreign embassies in the largest city, Yangon, the center of many recent protests. Footage also showed what appeared to be police and army vehicles driving through the streets.

Protesters called for a general strike, with all offices and shops to be closed on Monday. Activists urged all citizens to join in the protest, known as “Five Twos” in reference to Monday.

“Tomorrow 2/22/2021 will be a great historic day. Keep looking at us and praying for us friends,” the leading civil disobedience movement said in a tweet on Sunday.

Weekend events

For more than two weeks, thousands of people in villages, towns and cities across Myanmar have come out to peacefully protest or take part in a non-violent civil disobedience movement against the military takeover, calling on the generals to restore power and release civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other democratically elected officials.
The junta tried to stop the protests by imposing bans on gatherings of more than five people and curfews in some areas and by cutting the internet at night. They have also deployed troops to major cities, including members of elite counter-insurgency divisions that engage in human rights abuses and violent campaigns against ethnic minorities.
By day, Myanmar protesters are provocative dissidents. At night, they are terrified of being dragged out of their beds by the junta

The Association for Assistance to Political Prisoners of Burma (AAPPB) said at least 640 people were arrested in connection with the coup.

But that did not stop the protesters, who gathered in large numbers on Sunday following the deadly shootings in Mandalay.

In Yangon, demonstrators marched in front of the United States Embassy waving banners reading “Help Myanmar”. In Myitkyina, the capital of Kachin state in northern Myanmar, protesters could be seen chanting slogans and waving flags while riding motorcycles.

And in the capital, Naypyidaw, large crowds gathered to attend the funeral of a young woman, who died Friday after being shot in the head during an anti-coup protest. Mya Thweh Thweh Khine, who was shot dead just before her 20th birthday, was the first known victim of the pro-democracy protests.

Video of his funeral procession showed a hearse with his photo in front and a convoy of vehicles exiting a hospital. As the procession passed through the streets, people on motorcycles and passers-by were seen saluting the three-fingered salute from the Hunger Games movies, which was adopted by protesters.

Myanmar’s foreign ministry said in a statement on Sunday that authorities “were exercising the utmost restraint by using minimum force” in the protests. He also said that the statements and remarks made by some foreign countries “amounted to flagrant interference in the internal affairs of Myanmar”.

In a Facebook post, the ministry called on diplomats to “respect the laws and regulations of the host state” and reiterated that a “free and fair general election” would be held. A state of emergency has been in force in Myanmar for a year, but the junta has not given a deadline for holding an election.

International condemnation of military action

Several countries condemned the coup and the violence against protesters.

Singapore warned on Saturday that there would be “serious adverse consequences” for Myanmar if the situation continues to worsen. Singapore, which was Myanmar’s largest foreign investor in fiscal year 2019-2020, said it was “inexcusable” for Myanmar police to use deadly weapons against unarmed civilians.

European Union foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell on Saturday urged the military and “all Myanmar security forces to immediately stop violence against civilians.”

CNN cords confirmed in Mandalay on Sunday that live ammunition and tear gas were used to disperse people during an anti-coup protest in the city. Volunteer rescuers quoted by Reuters and AFP news agencies said at least two people died when police opened fire on protesters. News agencies reported that between 20 and 30 people were injured in the crackdown.

In the video seen by CNN, a large crowd of people could be seen fleeing from the police and taking cover behind any shelter they could find. In another video, a person could be seen stretched out by medics. The patient’s condition was not immediately clear.

The military defended their actions in Sunday’s official broadcast, claiming they used “prescribed crowd dispersal methods” and blamed “some notorious ex-criminals and their gangs” who “used sticks, knives, stones, catapults and other weapon-like materials to attack members of the security forces. “

UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Myanmar Tom Andrews said in a tweet he was “horrified by more loss of life” as military “intensifies brutality in Myanmar “.

“From water cannons to rubber bullets to tear gas and now the hardened troops are shooting at peaceful protesters at close range. This madness must end, now!” he said.

After the shooting, Facebook deleted a page operated by the Burmese military, the company said.

“In accordance with our global policies, we have removed the Tatmadaw True News Facebook page for repeated violations of our community standards prohibiting incitement to violence and the coordination of harm,” a door said. – Facebook spoke in a statement.

CNN’s Radina Gigova in Atlanta and Sophie Jeong in Hong Kong contributed reporting.

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