Myanmar police crack down on protests for second day; one dead, several hurt

Myanmar police shot and killed one protester on Sunday and wounded several as they cracked down in a bid to end weeks of demonstrations against a Feb. 1 military coup, a politician and media said.

Police opened fire in the town of Dawei, killing one and wounding several, politician Kyaw Min Htike told Reuters from the southern town. The Dawei Watch media outlet also said one person was killed and more than a dozen wounded.

Police and the spokesman for the ruling military council did not respond to phone calls seeking comment.

Myanmar was thrown into chaos when the army seized power and detained elected government leader Aung San Suu Kyi and much of her party leadership, alleging fraud in a November election her party won in a landslide.

The coup, which stalled Myanmar’s progress toward democracy after nearly 50 years of military rule, has brought hundreds of thousands of protesters onto the streets and drawn condemnation from Western countries, with some imposing limited sanctions.

In the main city of Yangon, several people, some bleeding heavily, were helped away from protests, images posted by media showed.

It was not clear how they were hurt but media reported live fire. Myanmar Now media group said people had been “gunned down”, but it did not elaborate.

Police also threw stun grenades, used tear gas and fired into the air, witnesses said.

Junta leader General Min Aung Hlaing has said authorities have been using minimal force to deal with the protests.

Nevertheless, at least three protesters have died over the days of turmoil. The army said a policeman has been killed in the unrest.