At least eleven demonstrators have been killed in clashes with security forces in a town in northwest Myanmar.
The deaths occurred on Thursday after truckloads of troops arrived to quell a protest against the ruling military junta, local media reported.
The Myanmar Now and Errawaddy news outlets said protesters, armed with homemade guns, knives and firebombs, fought back against the troops in the town of Taze as more soldiers were brought in.
Fighting carried on into Thursday morning and at least eleven protesters were killed and about twenty injured, they said. There was no word of any casualties among the troops.
The latest deaths brought the toll of civilian casualties to more than 600 since the junta seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi on February 1, Reuters quoted the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners group as saying.
Taze is near the town of Kale, where at least twelve people were killed in a similar clash between troops and protesters on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the US, which has imposed sanctions on the Myanmar military’s economic interests, added a state-owned gem enterprise to its list of targets.
The latest US move was announced on Thursday, barely twenty-four hours ahead of an informal, virtual gathering of the fifteen UN Security Council members in New York. The meeting, due later on Friday, will be the first public discussion of Myanmar by the Council since the coup.
Although The powerful UN organ has condemned the violence against protesters, it has however refrained from calling the military takeover a coup or threatening any action, due to opposition by China, Russia, India and Vietnam.
DISCLAIMER
The OPINION / COLUMN is authored by independent contributors to the National Accord Newspaper. While contributors adhere to our editorial guidelines, they are not employed by the National Accord Newspaper. The perspectives and opinions expressed herein are solely those of the author and do not represent the views of the National Accord Newspaper or its staff.