Violence by pro-democracy protesters against Chinese properties are mounting in Myanmar and security forces are opening indiscriminate fire to check the attacks….reports Asian Lite News
Protesters have been carrying placards saying “Myanmar military coup, Made in China”, reflecting huge Burmese anger over Beijing’s muted response to the coup that has been severely criticised by the West, reports Subir Bhaumik
Violence by pro-democracy protesters against Chinese properties are mounting in Myanmar and security forces are opening indiscriminate fire to check the attacks.
At least 38 protesters were killed on Sunday after two Chinese-financed factories were set on fire and a host of other Chinese properties attacked.
The Facebook page of the Chinese embassy in Myanmar has been bombarded with an unending stream of vitriol blaming the February 1 coup on “Chinese backing and encouragement”, specially after a statement by the mission calling for “punishment” of those attacking Chinese properties.
Many posts in Burmese social media even carried threats to “set fire” to an oil and gas pipeline that connects the China-financed port of Kyaukphyu in Myanmar’s Rakhine state to China’s Yunnan province .
Protesters have been carrying placards saying “Myanmar military coup, Made in China”, reflecting huge Burmese anger over Beijing’s muted response to the coup that has been severely criticised by the West.
India has avoided direct criticism of the takover but expressed “serious concern” at the Myanmar situation and called for “orderly democratic transition”.
Late on Sunday, the Chinese embassy described the situation as “very severe” after pro-democracy protesters set ablaze two Chinese-financed garment factories in Hlaingthaya suburb of Yangon.
“China urges Myanmar to take futher effective measures to stop all acts of violence, punish perpetrators in accordance with law and ensure the safety of life and property of Chinese companies and personnel in Myanmar,” the embassy said in a statement.
Myanmar security forces pounced on the protesters setting fire to the factories at Hlaingthaya and opened indiscriminate fire.
The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) claimed that at least 22 protesters had died in the Hlaingthaya firings.
Burmese mediapersons trying to reach the suburbs after reports of indiscriminate firing were blocked off by security forces who told them that “martial law had been declared” in Hlaingthaya and an adjoining district of Yangon.
But Burmese social media carried at least two videos of dead and injured protesters been carried away by their comrades after the firings.
AAPP officials said at least 16 other protestors had died in indiscriminate firings in several other cities like Mandalay and Bago, making March 14 the bloodiest day in Myanmar since the coup.
One policemen was also killed in Bago, they said.
In both places, properties of Chinese jade buyers and bulk importers were attacked, independent mediapersons said.
AAPP officials closely monitoring the Myanmar situation say at least 126 protesters have been killed so far since the country plunged into chaos over fierce public resistance to the military takeover.
Some 2,250 protesters have been taken into custody and only 300 of them, specially those injured, have been released.
Licenses of four Burmese media groups including the leading multilingual online and TV platform Mizzima have been cancelled as the junta tries to muzzle the press.
Over 100 enter India
More than 100 people fleeing Myanmar have entered a small village in India’s northeast, adding to scores who had already arrived since last month’s military, according to media reports.
The Myanmar nationals crossed the Tiau River and reached Farkawn Village through a stretch where India’s paramilitary Assam Rifles personnel were not present, reports quoted a village leader in Mizoram state.
Meanwhile local media reports said that several of them were from Myanmar police and fire services.
Indian Home Ministry has already asked four northeastern states — Mizoram, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur — which share borders with Myanmar to take appropriate action to check influx of refugees from the coup-hit country.
The four states share a 1,643 km unfenced border with Myanmar.
Martial law imposed
Myanmar’s military-backed State Administration Council has imposed martial law in the Hlaingthaya and Shwe Pyi Thar townships of the Yangon region, state-run media reported.
The Council on Sunday authorised the commander of Yangon region to put the martial law into place, Xinhua news agency quoted the state media report as saying.
The move came after some factories in the townships were burnt down, according to the report.
Myanmar is witnessing continued protests demanding the release of the former de facto leader and other senior officials of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party and also the restoration of the democratically elected government.
A BBC report citing The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) monitoring group said that at least 38 protesters were killed in Yangon on Sunday, in one the bloodiest days since the coup.
In total, more than 120 protesters have reportedly been killed during the crackdown, according to the AAPP.