Myanmar violence: Four anti-coup protesters killed in police firing amid protests

Myanmar security forces on Wednesday opened fire on anti-coup protesters, killing at least six people. According to reports, four people were shot dead in a city in central Myanmar, while another two protesters were killed in Mandalay. This comes days after more than 10 demonstrators were killed by Myanmar security forces for protesting against the military coup, that saw the ousting of the democratically-elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. 

Read: Myanmar Coup Crisis Grows After Years Of US Neglect

The recent protest in Myanmar turned violent after security forces clashed with demonstrators in an effort to disperse them from the protest sites. As per reports, several people have been left injured by the use of tear gas and rubber bullets. Myanmar junta has also tightened its grip on journalists and activists in the past couple of weeks, detaining more than a dozen of reporters, including an Associated Press photojournalist. 

Read: Southeast Asian Nations Urge Halt To Violence In Myanmar

Burmese people started protesting against the military coup days after the junta overthrew Aung San Suu Kyi's government. The protests were largely peaceful for the first couple of weeks before the military started using violent measures to clampdown on demonstrators. The first such instance of the violent crackdown was recorded on February 9, when a woman protester was hit by a live bullet on her head. The woman succumbed to her injury 10 days later, which angered the Burmese people and sparked nationwide protests. 

Read: Myanmar Protesters Return To Streets As Crackdown Continues

The international community, including the United Nations, was quick to condemn the violent measures used by the Myanmar military to suppress protests. The United States and its allies issued a joint statement asking the junta to respect peoples' right to peacefully demonstrate. Facebook suspended accounts linked to the military, who were regularly using the platform to issue threats and warnings. 

Military coup

The military coup occurred on February 1, a day before the newly-elected members of the parliament were scheduled to take the oath. The army accused the government of rigging the November election in which Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) party had won an overwhelming majority. International observers, who were in Myanmar to observe the polls, dismissed the military's allegation of "election fraud". Experts suggest that the military feared Suu Kyi's government will try and reduce the number of parliamentary seats reserved for the Army. After the previous military rule ended in Myanmar, the Army helped co-write the constitution, under which it reserved 25% of seats in the parliament. 

Read: Myanmar Military Coup Timeline: Here's What Happened In A Month Since Suu Kyi's Detention