Massacre As Security Forces Fire at Protestors In Myanmar

Sixteen hours ago, Myanmar civilians found themselves in a tight spot in what has been described as a massacre when security forces shot dead eight people, and injured many more.

While undertaking their peaceful protests against the coup in Myanmar, several civilians were injured while others killed as security forces opened direct fire at them.

According to the BBC, recent violence appears to have taken place in the city of Mandalay. During a protest, a large rally of civilians found themselves at the mercy of security forces when high-velocity rounds sent them running for cover according to eye-witness reports.

“There’s no particular, obvious objective to it except to terrorise people”, said the BBC’s Jonathan Head, adding that Myanmar has “all the hallmarks of a civil war… but only one side is armed.”

Recently, an image of a Catholic nun became an internet sensation when she knelt in front of police in Myanmar begging them not to take lethal action against a group of young protestors.

According to reports, she was trying to protect a group of young protesters seeking refuge in the clinic she works at. Her actions gathered a lot of attention from the media and around the world.

The Catholic nun who goes by the names of Sister Ann Rose Nu Tawng wanted to protect the young protestors and risked her life by undertaking a brave act to fend off the Myanmar police.

The country, which seems to be heading into a likely civil war is holding together by a thread as civilians take to the streets to protest against the coup and the junta who have held power over the country for too long.

The mass protests began taking place across Myanmar ever since the military seized control on 1 February and after they detained elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi and members of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party.

Several Myanmar civilians were injured while others killed during a protest in the city of Mandalay

With over 21 and more protestors killed so far, the protests which started as peaceful demonstrations could be heading towards a civil war only that its only one side that is armed to the teeth.

The military coup forced civilians to take action in their own hands and try to regain control of what is left of their country but now, many are being killed in the process and it seems the massacre in the city of Mandalay may not be the last.

Video shared by BBC about the massacre in the city of Mandalay

The revolution, which has been led largely by young people has employed ingenious creative techniques of defiance against their junta using online cells to organise protests, blocking transport routes and many others.

Myanmar had been under military rule from 1962 – 2011, the period between 1974 – 1988 being a constitutional dictatorship. Later in 2011, a new civilian government was established following a 2010 civilian election.

The people of Myanmar on 8th November 2020, went to the polls to elect for their new leaders and unlike before, the younger population voted this time and again overwhelmingly chose, popular opposition candidate, Aung San Suu Kyi and her party the NLD (National League for Democracy).

Some have even gone on to say that it was a “landslide victory”. This however didn’t go down well with the military, which was and is currently led by General Min Aung Hlaing who claimed that there were large counts of voter fraud and thus the whole election was null and void just because the military-backed party USDP lost.

We await more reports on what happened in the city of Mandalay, and we hope there aren’t more civilians that were injured or even killed in the process.

 

Check out: Protestors in Myanmar Re-Write the Rule Book on Revolutions and Peaceful Demonstrations