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Yangon protesters come under fire from police, as military tightens grip in Myanmar

Thursday, 18 March 2021 5:41 PM [ Last Update: Thursday, 18 March 2021 5:41 PM ]

Protesters against Myanmar's military coup come under fire from police in Yangon's Hlaing Township.

Video obtained by Reuters shows bottles, some lit, being launched by a group of protesters over a makeshift barrier in Insein street, as live fire can be heard and smoke is seen rising.

An eyewitness said police entered the street "with massive force," causing protesters to run behind the barrier and take cover in adjacent streets. After five minutes, police used between six to seven rounds of live bullets.

Security forces also torched protesters' barricades, detaining 20 people, the Irrawaddy and Myanmar Now news portal reported. There was no word on casualties.

Yangon residents said soldiers also ordered people to dismantle barricades and remove posters on some streets.

Authorities have restricted the internet services protesters use to organize, with access to Wi-Fi in public areas largely shut off by Thursday. Residents of some towns, including Dawei in the south, reported no internet at all.

The private Tachilek News Agency in the northeast published photographs of workers cutting cables it said were the fibre links with neighboring Thailand.

Reuters could not verify the report, but state-run media has not been affected.

State television said on Wednesday that de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi was being investigated for bribery in connection with accepting four payments worth $550,000 from a prominent businessman.

(Source: Reuters)

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