On Sunday February 28th security forces carried out a brutal crackdown on peaceful protestors nationwide. Many protestors took to the streets across the country to join protests. The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) reported that at least 18 died either from live or rubber bullets as peaceful protests were broken up.
Demonstrations took place right across the country, from northern Kachin State to southern Tanintharyi Region, Chin State in the west and Shan in the east. Yangon, Mandalay and Bago also saw large demonstrations.
The police arrested more than 40 anti-coup protestors in Hpa-An Township in Karen State on February 28th.Police and soldiers started cracking down on the protestors at around 10 am using rubber bullets, teargas and water cannons.
Most of the detainees are women. Some protestors were injured in the crackdown. All detainees were sent to Taungkalay Prison according to their families. This is the first crackdown on the protestors in Hpa-An since the beginning of protests. Police in plain clothes carried out the arrests of protestors.
Dawei Watch reported that three died in the Tanintharyi Region capital Dawei. Myanmar state media tonight announced that four had been killed in Myeik in Tanintharyi Region, two in Bago.
The authorities also said they made 460 people arrests in total, including 224 in Yangon, according to state media. As of yesterday at least 854 people had been detained since the February 1 coup, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners so today’s arrests put the total well over 1,300.
The United Nations meanwhile said it had received credible information that at least 18 people had been killed and over 30 wounded by security forces. Unconfirmed reports have put the death toll even higher.
UN Office for the High Commissioner for Human Rights spokesperson Ms Ravina Shamdasani strongly condemned the violence, and called on the military to “immediately halt the use of force against peaceful protestors”.
“The people of Myanmar have the right to assemble peacefully and demand the restoration of democracy. These fundamental rights must be respected by the military and police, not met with violent and bloody repression,” she said. “Use of lethal force against non-violent demonstrators is never justifiable under international human rights norms.”
