Protesters returned to the streets of Myanmar on Sunday, a day after riot police shot dead two people demonstrating against the country’s military coup, as well as injuring several others. 20-year-old protester Min Htet Naing implored the security forces to “stop using lethal weapons,” as fellow demonstrators sang defiant songs behind him.
Mya Thwet Thwet Khine was shot in the head on February 9 during a demonstration in Naypyitaw, and died on Friday. Riot police in Myanmar shot dead two other anti-coup protesters and injured several others on Saturday.
One of the victims was shot in the head and died immediately during the latest rally in the second-largest city of Mandalay, according to Frontier Myanmar, a news and business magazine. Another was shot in the chest and died en route to a hospital. Several other serious injuries were also reported.
The shootings occurred near Mandalay’s Yadanabon dock, where tear gas, rubber bullets, water cannons, and slingshots were used on protesters earlier Saturday. The Irrawaddy news website also confirmed the deaths on social media. An impromptu memorial honouring those who had been killed in the movement has been set up under an elevated roadway in Yangon. Protests have been taking place across Myanmar for several weeks, since the military’s takeover on February 1.