YANGON • A Myanmar reporter was attacked in his home and detained by the military, said his employer, after days of crackdowns by the junta on anti-coup protesters.
Myanmar's military has escalated force as it attempts to quell an uprising against its rule, deploying tear gas, rubber bullets and, increasingly, live rounds.
Journalists have found themselves targeted by police and soldiers as they try to capture the unrest on the streets.
In recent days, several have been arrested, including an Associated Press photographer in Yangon.
A Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) reporter live-streamed his detention on Monday night, showing chaotic footage, including the sound of loud bangs, outside his apartment building in the southern city of Myeik.
Hours later, DVB said on Twitter that reporter Kaung Myat Hlaing had been taken from his home by security forces.
It added that Mr Kaung Myat Hlaing's latest reports were on a weekend military crackdown in Myeik, as well as on Monday's demonstrations.
Loud bangs could be heard during Mr Kaung Myat Hlaing's live stream, which was hosted on DVB's official Facebook page.
"Please don't terrorise," he pleaded. "If you are shooting like this, how will I come down?"
DVB, a well-known news organisation within Myanmar, started as an exiled media outlet during the previous junta, broadcasting uncensored reports on TV and radio.
The outlet demanded yesterday that the military release Mr Kaung Myat Hlaing, as well as other journalists detained since the Feb 1 coup.
DVB director Aye Chan Naing told Agence France-Presse that the military was employing many of the same tactics as the previous junta. But "it's totally different now - you've got Internet, you've got mobile phones, people are well connected within the country", he said, speaking from Norway.
"They may be able to crack down on this uprising, but it will always haunt them for as long as they are in power."
Myanmar's military has also asked security forces responsible for deadly attacks on anti-coup protesters over the weekend not to use live ammunition, as international condemnation grows.
The announcement was made in a broadcast on state-run MRTV after Myanmar on Sunday saw its deadliest day since the coup, with the United Nations saying at least 18 protesters were killed and 30 others wounded.
The military also said on Monday that more than 1,300 protesters were arrested during nationwide demonstrations.
"When it comes to crowd dispersal methods, security forces have been instructed not to use live bullets," the broadcast stated, accusing protesters of instigating violence by using slingshots and petrol bombs.
"Security forces are allowed to protect themselves when protesters harm their lives by firing shots at the protesters below the waist."
It was not immediately clear that troops would use only rubber bullets in their defence.
A new wave of rallies began yesterday after a Myanmar court brought additional charges against detained civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi that could extend the time she spends behind bars.
The rising death toll may increase pressure on governments around the world to take more action against Myanmar's generals, who refused to recognise a landslide election victory by Ms Suu Kyi's political party last November.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, BLOOMBERG
