Ethnic minorities such as the Karen join the anti-junta protests.
Burma’s anti-junta protests continue to fester, with at least two dead and 20 injured after police in Mandalay, the second largest city, battled striking dock workers for multiple hours on Saturday (20), followed by police dispersing demonstrators with live ammunition. Singapore’s Channel NewsAsia (CNA) reported that one person was shot in the head and died on the spot, while another was shot in the chest and died while being taken to hospital.
In addition, ethnic minorities, poets, railroad and transport workers joined the people in the streets. The crowd chanted for an end to the junta’s rule and the release of former Senior Minister of State Aung San Suu Kyi, who is currently under house arrest, as well as other top officials of the civilian government. The junta’s earlier announcement that it would hold general elections and hand over power to the winner was met with skepticism. The Myanmar’s Assistance Association for Political Prisoners estimated that at least 546 people had been arrested and 46 released as of Friday (19).
In Yangon, the largest city, young people brought wreaths and flowers to mourn Myo Twe Twe Kyi, the first 20-year-old girl to die in the protests, as well as in Mandalay. Myo Tui Tui Kai was shot in the head during a protest in the capital Nay Pyi Taw on the 9th of this month and died in the brain stem. After 10 days in hospital, her Family agreed to pull her throat out and Myo Tui Tui Kai died at 11:15am on Friday (19), becoming the first person to die during the protest. The military said that one police officer died of injuries sustained during the anti-junta demonstration.
Some students said Myo Tui Tui Kai’s death was sad, but the protesters will have the courage to carry on her volunteerism. Demonstrators demanded the restoration of the democratically elected government, the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and other arrested senior officials, and the abolition of the 2008 constitution, which was written under the control of the military.
The parade in Yangon featured local ethnic minorities dressed in different colors as they demanded ethnic unity in the country. The Karen, concentrated in eastern Burma, said in an interview with Reuters that the military government only divides multiple races and “we can’t let that happen again.” Since Burma gained independence from the British colonies in 1948, different ethnic groups in the country have often clashed with the largest number of ethnic Burmese in the quest for autonomy. The Burmese military, which is made up of ethnic Burmese, has stressed that only the military can maintain national unity.
The ethnic groups involved in the local ethnic unrest have signed ceasefire agreements demonstrating their opposition to military-headed rule, calling for cooperation between local and foreign forces, and chanting to the international community to eradicate the dictatorship.
The U.S., U.K., Canada and New Zealand announced limited sanctions against the junta. Burma’s defense force chief Min Aung Hlaing has ties to Chinese and Russian forces and is also a reason for Western pressure.
Recent Comments