Photos: (L) AFP/Getty Images, (R) AP Images
Security forces in Myanmar have once again opened fire on pro-democracy protestors killing at least nine people. This means that the total number of people to have been killed in pro-democracy protests in the last few weeks is 233 according to Assistance Association for Political Prisoners activist group.
In a separate incident, 2 BBC journalists were detained by government forces and have not been heard of since. There is now extreme concern for their safety. The Myanmar military has in the past been accused of using torture on those detained by them.
In the latest incident, witnesses say that a peaceful protest was taking place in the central town of Aungban when a confrontation broke out when the military forces tried to remove a barrier the protestors had constructed.
A witness said:
"Security forces came to remove barriers but the people resisted and they fired shots."
The number of dead was confirmed to Reuters by someone working in a local funeral home.
A spokesperson for the junta said that government forces have only intervened when there has been a direct threat to their lives, a claim rejected by protestors who say the government has been intentionally slaughtering them to put down the pro-democracy movement.
The military coup earlier this year overthrew over a decade of democratic rule in Myanmar and led to the arrest of President Aung San Suu Kyi after she won a landslide victory in elections. She has previously spent decades in prison and under house arrest as the leader of the democratic movement.
The military immediately imposed martial law banning protests.
One Myanmar citizen told The Guardian:
"I no longer feel safe and secure any more – some nights I am not able to sleep. I am very worried that the worst will happen next because where I live … is very intense, with security forces taking people from the streets."
The Indonesian government, who opposes the Myanmar military regime, released a statement saying:
"Indonesia urges that the use of violence in Myanmar be stopped immediately so that there are no more victims. The safety and welfare of the people must be the top priority. Indonesia also urges dialogue, that reconciliation is carried out immediately to restore democracy, to restore peace and to restore stability."
[h/t: The Guardian]
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