Myanmar military opens fire on health workers, at least one bystander killed

At least 20 doctors participating in the movement to be charged; well-known protest leader also arrested

Relatives and friends at the funeral of 26-year-old Ko Ko Htet in Mandalay yesterday. He was shot dead during a protest against the Feb 1 military coup. Protesters marching against the military coup in Mandalay. They have continued taking to the stre
Protesters marching against the military coup in Mandalay. They have continued taking to the streets this week - refusing to celebrate the Myanmar New Year holiday of Thingyan. PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Relatives and friends at the funeral of 26-year-old Ko Ko Htet in Mandalay yesterday. He was shot dead during a protest against the Feb 1 military coup. Protesters marching against the military coup in Mandalay. They have continued taking to the stre
Relatives and friends at the funeral of 26-year-old Ko Ko Htet in Mandalay yesterday. He was shot dead during a protest against the Feb 1 military coup. PHOTO: EPA-EFE

YANGON • Myanmar's military opened fire on protesting healthcare workers, killing at least one bystander as the demonstrators fled for safety to a nearby mosque.

The country has been in uproar since the military seized power from civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Feb 1, triggering a massive uprising that the junta has sought to quell using lethal force. But the movement remains undeterred, and protesters have continued taking to the streets this week - refusing to celebrate the Myanmar New Year holiday of Thingyan.

Yesterday, in Myanmar's second-largest city of Mandalay, a demonstration by medical workers turned bloody when soldiers opened fire on them, sending them running to the mosque.

"They were shooting everywhere... they were targeting the Sule mosque compound because people in there were hiding protesters," said an eyewitness.

A 30-year-old man who lived in the compound was shot dead, and at least two others were injured, said a doctor who treated the wounded. "The man who died was shot from the back and it penetrated through his chest," he told Agence France-Presse (AFP).

A medic who participated in the protest said he saw the arrest of six nurses and doctors during the crackdown. "We lost contact with some medical team members as well," he told AFP.

Myanmar's healthcare workers have been at the forefront of a nationwide civil disobedience movement, refusing to return to work under a military regime - which has left the country's hospitals unstaffed during a pandemic.

Civil servants from other sectors have followed suit, bringing the country's banks, schools, railway operations and businesses to a halt.

The junta has tried to force people back to work. Yesterday, state-run media reported that at least 20 doctors participating in the movement will be charged for attempting to "deteriorate peace and stability".

So far more than 700 civilians have been killed in anti-coup unrest, according to a local monitoring group, and more than 3,000 have been detained.

A well-known protest leader was arrested yesterday in central Monywa city - he was leading a demonstration by motorbike when a car rammed into him.

Monywa, about 700km north of the main city of Yangon, has been one of the main centres of the pro-democracy campaign with big rallies day after day and repeated crackdowns by the security forces.

Activist Wai Moe Naing, a 25-year-old Muslim, has emerged as one of the most high-profile leaders of opposition to the coup.

"Our brother Wai Moe Naing was arrested. His motorbike was hit by a private car of the police," said Mr Win Zaw Khiang, a member of a protest organising group, on social media.

The leader had grown in prominence since the coup, shepherding the movement in the remote Sagaing region despite multiple lethal crackdowns by the authorities.

"Wai Moe Naing was arrested... I saw his motorcycle hit by the car from afar," fellow activist Hein Zaw Win told AFP.

Videos posted on social media showed an oncoming car swerving into a group of motorbikes. Reuters was not able to verify the footage.

A spokesman for the junta could not be reached for comment.

Some colleagues said they feared for the activist's safety in detention.

"We have to continue the fight by doubling our energy for Ko Wai Moe Naing, for the truth, for the present and future of the country," said Mr Tayzar San, another leader, on Facebook.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on April 16, 2021, with the headline Myanmar military opens fire on health workers, at least one bystander killed. Subscribe