Myanmar security forces kill 2 anti-coup protesters

Gulf Today Report

Two anti-coup protesters were shot dead on Monday by security forces in northern Myanmar, local media reported, as the military government continued its attempt to stamp out opposition to its Feb. 1 coup.

Demonstrators across the country sought to paralyse the economy with strike action following a weekend of night raids and arrests.

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The Irrawaddy newspaper said the victims were shot in the head during anti-coup protests in Myitkyina in Kachin State. Graphic video on social media showed protesters in the street backing away from tear gas, responding with rocks, then fleeing after a fusillade of what seemed to be automatic gunfire.

Protesters react after tear gas was fired during a demonstration against the military coup in Yangon on Monday. AFP

The country has been in turmoil since a February 1 coup ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and triggered mass protests against the new military junta.

Demonstrators hurriedly carried away a number of injured people, including one apparent fatality, a person who had sustained a severe head wound. A second body was seen later on a stretcher, his head covered with a cloth.

The police and military have responded with an increasingly brutal crackdown on demonstrators, with more than 50 people killed and nearly 1,800 arrested.

Despite the risk, protesters rallied in parts of the commercial capital Yangon, the second-largest city Mandalay and other towns around the country. In some areas, the authorities once again responded with force.

Protesters hold homemade shields during a demonstration against the military coup in Yangon on Monday. AFP

To date, the government's violent crackdown has left more than 50 protesters dead. At least 18 people were fatally shot on Sunday last week and 38 on Wednesday, according to the UN Human Rights Office.

Security forces also clamped down on anti-coup protesters elsewhere Monday, firing tear gas to break up a crowd of about 1,000 people who were demonstrating in the capital, Naypyitaw. The protesters deployed fire extinguishers to create a smoke screen as they fled from authorities.