YANGON • Myanmar security forces opened fire on anti-coup protesters in the commercial capital Yangon yesterday, killing at least 14 people in the city's Hlaing Tharyar district.
Myanmar Now news service said the information came from a rescue worker and a hospital near the industrial district, while other domestic media gave even higher death tolls.
Videos taken at the site earlier showed protesters holding handmade shields and wearing helmets as they confronted security forces.
Plumes of black smoke rose over the area and one report said two factories had been set on fire.
At least two other protesters were killed elsewhere in the country, a day after the acting leader of the parallel civilian government said it would seek to give people the legal right to defend themselves.
A young man was shot and killed in the town of Bago, near Yangon, witnesses and local media said. The Kachin Wave media outlet said another protester was killed in the town of Hpakant, in the jade mining area in the north-east.
More than 80 people had been killed as at Saturday, in widespread protests against the military's seizure of power last month, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners advocacy group said. Over 2,100 people have been arrested, it said.
Mr Mahn Win Khaing Than, who is on the run along with most senior officials from the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) party, addressed the public in a recorded video via Facebook last Saturday, saying: "This is the darkest moment of the nation and the moment that the dawn is close."
"This is also a moment testing our citizens to see how far we can resist these darkest times," added the high-ranking NLD politician.
He said the civilian government would "attempt to legislate the required laws so that the people have the right to defend themselves" against the military crackdown.
The Monywa township in central Myanmar declared that it had formed its own local government and police force.
In Yangon, hundreds of people demonstrated in different parts of the city after putting up barricades of barbed wire and sandbags to block security forces.
"We need justice," they chanted.
At least 13 people were killed on Saturday, one of the bloodiest days since the Feb 1 coup. "They are acting like they are in a war zone, with unarmed people," said activist Myat Thu in the city of Mandalay.
Junta-run MRTV reported that one police officer was killed and three were wounded during yesterday's protests. It accused protesters of throwing rocks and using catapults, and said it was trying to verify whether they used guns.
Meanwhile, China yesterday urged Myanmar to stop the violence and to protect Chinese firms and personnel after attacks on Chinese-financed factories there, China's state-run CGTN news service reported.
REUTERS, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
