Burmese protesters mourn the dead who were shot by military police.
Anti-junta protests in Mandalay, Myanmar’s second largest city, were crushed by military police with live ammunition on Saturday (20), leaving two people dead and dozens injured in what some local ambulance workers said was the bloodiest day since the demonstrations. Many countries issued statements condemning the military’s bloody crackdown. In addition, the protesters launched a massive march on Monday (22) to mourn the dead who were shot by the military police.
The protesters called the mourning event “22222” because it was held on Feb. 22, using the number as a code name to echo the “8888” campaign, the date on Aug. 8, 1988, when people began six weeks of demonstrations against the military government.
Myanmar’s military government cracked down with live ammunition, and many countries issued statements condemning the crackdown. State Department spokeswoman Price said in a Twitter post on Sunday (21), “The United States is ‘deeply concerned’ by reports that Burmese security forces have opened fire on protesters and continue to detain and harass demonstrators and others.” She said, “We stand with the people of Burma.”
British Foreign Secretary David Lantawine said Sunday that the UK would consider “further action against those involved in the violent crackdown on protesters.” Blue Thaw said on Twitter that “the firing on peaceful protesters in Burma is unacceptable. We will work with our international partners to consider further action against those who suppress democracy and stifle dissent.” The UK has already imposed sanctions on three Burmese generals last Thursday (18), accusing them of serious human rights violations in the wake of the coup.
The French Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Sunday strongly condemning the violence by Burmese security forces, saying the “brutality” of the military police in Mandalay was unacceptable.
UN Secretary-General Guterres “condemned the use of lethal violence” by Myanmar’s military and police, adding that “the use of lethal force against peaceful demonstrators, and thus the intimidation and harassment of them, is unacceptable.”
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke on the phone with the foreign ministers of Brunei and Indonesia, the rotating chairs of ASEAN, about the situation in Myanmar. Wang said that the continued turmoil in Myanmar “is not in the interests of the country and its people, nor is it in the common interests of regional countries. I hope all parties in Myanmar will act in the fundamental and long-term interests of the nation,” he said, adding that the problems arising should be resolved in a peaceful manner under the constitutional and legal framework, and the process of democratic transformation in the country should continue in an orderly manner.
On the other hand, following the bloody clashes in Myanmar, Facebook accused the Burmese military government of inciting violence, and the military government’s “True News” page was deleted by Facebook.
A Facebook spokesperson said the Tatmadaw True News Information Team page was removed for “repeatedly violating our community rules against inciting violence and promoting harm. A Facebook spokesperson said the Tatmadaw True News Information Team page was removed for “repeatedly violating our community rules against inciting violence and promoting harm.
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