Myanmar Army opens fire on protest by medical personnel
Bangkok, Apr 15 (EFE).- Myanmar security forces opened fire Thursday at a demonstration of medical personnel in Mandalay and detained about 20 people in a new day of protests against the military junta that seized power during the Feb. 1 coup, the local press reported.
According to Mizzima News portal, dozens of health sector workers gathered in Mandalay, the country’s second largest city, to protest against the junta, but security forces dispersed them by opening fire and wounding several people.
The Khit Thit Media portal said 20 of the protesters were arrested but there are no estimates on the number of fatalities or injuries due to the daily internet signal cuts and difficulties reporting for the few independent digital media that remain active.
Myanmar has been celebrating the Buddhist New Year since Tuesday, but the traditional festivities have been suspended in many places and it is protests in different parts of the country that fill the streets.
The army’s violence has drawn severe criticism and sanctions from the European Union and countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada, although the international community has not managed to agree on common actions such as an arms embargo.
According to data from the Association for the Assistance of Political Prisoners, at least 714 people have died due to the military repression, while more than 3,000 people have been detained, including the leader of the deposed government Aung San Suu Kyi.
The Myanmar Army justifies the coup on alleged electoral fraud in November’s elections, in which Suu Kyi’s party won a landslide victory, as it did in 2015, with the endorsement of international observers. EFE
bkk-esj/lds
