Myanmar military coup: 10 protesters killed in police firing during crackdown

Myanmar on Sunday witnessed one of the bloodiest days since the February 1 military coup that sparked widespread protests from the members of the public. According to reports, the Myanmar military killed at least 10 demonstrators, who were peacefully protesting the ousting of the civilian government. A BBC report said that the police opened fire at protesters in the city of Yangon, Dawei, and Mandalay. 

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The exact number of casualties remains unverified largely due to the increased crackdown by the military junta on journalists and activists. The ongoing protests in Myanmar remained peaceful for most of this month before the military began taking violent measures to end the rallies. Protesters are demanding restoration of the civilian government of Aung San Suu Kyi, who, along with other members of her ruling party, was arrested on February 1. 

Read: UN Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun Fired By Myanmar Military For Denouncing Junta At UNGA

The international community has been actively seeking the release of jailed political leaders, including jailed protesters. Several countries and organisations, including the United States, Britain, the European Union, and the United Nations have called on the Burmese Army to refrain from using force against protesters. In a joint statement issued by the US and its allies, it was demanded that the military junta allow people of Myanmar to exercise their basic right of peaceful protest. 

Read: Shots, Tear Gas As Police In Myanmar Intensify Use Of Force

Military coup

The Burmese military overthrew the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi on February 1, a day before the newly-elected members of parliament were scheduled to take the oath. The military accused Suu Kyi's government of rigging November elections, in which her party National League for Democracy (NLD) had emerged the victor by a landslide. Suu Kyi's party managed to win 396 of the 476 parliamentary seats of the ones that are not reserved for the military. Experts suggest that the military feared Suu Kyi, with a larger majority than in 2015, would try and reduce the number of parliamentary seats reserved for the Army.

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