Bangkok, SAEDNEWS: Dozens of people have been killed by security forces in Myanmar on Saturday, the bloodiest day of protests since last month’s coup. The killings on the country’s annual Armed Forces Day drew renewed criticism from western countries, with the US envoy describing the violence as “horrifying”.
Protesters against the February 1 military coup came out on the streets of Yangon, Mandalay and other towns, defying a military warning that they could be shot “in the head and back”.
The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a monitoring group which documents deaths and arrests, confirmed 89 people were killed by “early evening”.
Later on Saturday, the Myanmar Now news website reported that 114 people, including children, were killed across the country by security forces.
A count issued by an independent researcher in Yangon who has been compiling near-real time death tolls put the total at 107, spread over more than two dozen cities and towns, The Associated Press news agency reported.
Estimates for the previous highest daily death toll on March 14 ranged in counts from 74 to 90.
At least 40 people, including a 13-year-old girl, were killed in Mandalay, and at least 27 people were killed in Yangon, Myanmar Now said. A boy as young as five was earlier reported among the dead in Mandalay but there were conflicting reports later that he may have survived. Another 13-year-old was among the dead in the central Sagaing region
The numbers of deaths reported could not be independently verified. A military spokesman did not respond to calls from Reuters news agency seeking comment.
“Today is a day of shame for the armed forces,” Dr Sasa, a spokesman for the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (CRPH), an anti-coup group set up by deposed politicians, told an online forum.
“The military generals are celebrating Armed Forces Day after they just killed more than 300 innocent civilians,” he said, giving a rough estimate of the toll since protests first erupted weeks ago (Source: AlJazeera).
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