According to a funeral services provider, Myanmar security forces killed eight critics of the military coup on Friday, as Indonesia called for an end to the bloodshed and urged the return of democracy in an unexpectedly blunt call from a neighbor.
Authorities detained two more journalists, including a BBC editor, as ousted senators investigated whether the International Criminal Court (ICC) would prosecute crimes against humanity after the coup, according to media reports.
Military and police have used more aggressive tactics to disrupt followers of imprisoned elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi, but the demonstrations have intensified, with crowds forming in many cities.
According to reports and a witness, security forces used tear gas to disperse demonstrators in the central town of Aungban and then opened fire in a clash as they attempted to clear a protesters’ barricade.
Security personnel arrived to clear barriers, but the citizens protested and fired bullets,” one witness, who did not want to be identified, told the Associated Press by phone from the area.
According to Reuters, eight people were killed, seven on the spot, and one who was injured and died after being admitted to a hospital in the nearby town of Kalaw, according to an official with Aungban’s funerary service who declined to be identified.
The junta’s spokesman was not immediately available for comment but said security forces had only used force when absolutely necessary. The explanation has been mocked by critics.
According to the most recent survey and a count by the advocacy community Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, the overall number of people killed in weeks of protests has increased to at least 232.
Witnesses and media reported that police in Yangon’s main city forced civilians to remove protesters’ barricades, while demonstrators were also out in Mandalay’s second city, the central towns of Myingyan and Katha, and Myawaddy in the east.
The coup has been criticized by Western countries, which have called for an end to the bloodshed and Suu Kyi’s release. Asian neighbors, led by Indonesia, have volunteered to assist in seeking a solution, but a regional meeting on March 3 failed to yield results.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has long refused to comment on each other’s domestic affairs, but there are growing indications that the Myanmar crisis is causing a rethink.
In a statement, Indonesian President Joko Widodo called for the restoration of independence and the cessation of conflict, as well as a meeting of Southeast Asian leaders to resolve the crisis.
In a virtual address, Jokowi, as he is affectionately known, said, “Indonesia urges that the use of violence in Myanmar be urgently stopped so that there are no further casualties.”
“The people’s wellbeing and well-being must take precedence. Indonesia also calls for mediation and unification to be carried out as quickly as possible in order to restore independence, security, and prosperity.”
