Myanmar: Security forces kill 8 protesters — local reports
Witnesses say security forces have opened fire on demonstrators in the town of Aungban. People have been taking to the street since a military coup at the beginning of February.
People light candles on the street during a night demonstration despite a curfew imposed by authorities in Yangon, Myanmar on Friday, Mar. 12, 2021. (AP Photo) Security forces shot seven protesters dead on Friday during a clash with pro-democracy protesters in the central town of Aungban, Myanmar Now news portal reported.
Another protester was taken to hospital, but died from their injuries, a local funeral service worker confirmed to Reuters.
Security forces were attempting to remove a barricade in the town. They used teargas to disperse protesters, but then opened fire, witnesses reported.
“Security forces came to remove barriers but the people resisted and they fired shots,” one witness, who declined to be identified, told Reuters.
Junta responds violently to ongoing protests
The total number of people killed during the protests in recent weeks rose to at least 232, according to a tally by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners Activist group.
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