At least 80 civilians in Myanmar lost their lives during protests held in the region of Bago against the Feb. 1 military coup in the country, according to media reports on Saturday.
Citing witnesses, the UK-based Independent newspaper said the military in the Ma Ga Dit district of Bago used assault rifles, heavy weaponry and explosives on the protesters.
Myanmar actor and model Paing Takhon, a celebrity at home and in the region, was detained before dawn after speaking out against the military coup - one of more than 2,800 people now imprisoned https://t.co/hU60bPFywz #WhatsHappeninglnMyanmar pic.twitter.com/9eG3zyPetb
— Matthew Tostevin (@TostevinM) April 8, 2021
Meanwhile, speaking to the Myanmar Now website, residents of Tamu, a township in the Sagaing region, said civilians attacked an army convoy, killing three soldiers.
Keren Khin, an activist, told Anadolu Agency, the military junta want to suppress the protesters by escalating violence.
Underlining that the army used heavy ammunition against the civilians, Khin said thousands of locals had abandoned their homes, with many more on the verge of doing the same.
Myanmar’s military seized power on Feb. 1, ousting the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi and ending the country’s brief experiment with democratic rule.
#Apr7Coup Images from Mandalay, Yae Oo, Shwebo and Katha, Sagaing
— Shafiur Rahman (@shafiur) April 7, 2021
STAGGERING: despite death toll reaching almost 600, the protests against the military coup are relentless. #Myanmar #WhatsHappeninglnMyanmar pic.twitter.com/XT5ErWve4g
In response to the coup, civilian groups across the country launched a civil disobedience campaign with mass demonstrations and sit-ins.
This article has been adapted from its original source.
