YANGON • A young woman protester in Myanmar who was shot in the head last week as police dispersed a crowd died yesterday, marking the first death among opponents of the Feb 1 military coup since they began demonstrating two weeks ago.
News of her death came as police and soldiers arrested about 50 people in the northern town of Myitkyina, after breaking up a procession carrying banners of detained government leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
Ms Mya Thwate Thwate Khaing, 20, had been on life support since being taken to hospital on Feb 9, after she was hit by what doctors said was a live bullet at a protest in the capital, Naypyitaw.
Within hours of her shooting, videos and images went viral on social media of the moment the woman, wearing a motorcycle helmet and red T-shirt, slumped to the ground with her back turned to the police, who doused crowds with water cannon.
"I feel really sad and have nothing to say," said her brother Ye Htut Aung.
Her death could become a rallying cry for the protesters who were again on the streets across the country yesterday.
"I'm proud of her and I'll come out until we achieve our goal for her," protester Nay Lin Htet, 24, said at a rally in Yangon.
The protests throughout the ethnically diverse country have been more peaceful than the bloodily suppressed demonstrations during nearly 50 years of direct military rule up to 2011.
But police have fired rubber bullets several times to break up crowds. The army says one policeman died of injuries.
In Myitkyina, baton-wielding police and soldiers sent protesters scattering down a street, video on social media showed.
Rights activist Stella Naw said about 50 people had been detained. "The military truck is just picking people up from the protest," she said.
Clashes have occurred in the town, the capital of Kachin State, over the past two weeks with police firing rubber bullets and using catapults to disperse crowds.
Police in Yangon sealed off the city's main protest site near the Sule Pagoda, setting up barricades on access roads to an intersection where tens of thousands have gathered this week.
Hundreds of people gathered at the barricades anyway, a witness said, while a procession of several thousand formed at another protest site and set off for the city centre.
As well as the protests, a civil disobedience campaign has paralysed much of government business and international pressure is building on the military.
Britain and Canada announced new sanctions on Thursday and Japan said it had agreed with India, the United States and Australia on the need for democracy to be restored quickly.
The junta has not reacted to the new sanctions.
Junta leader Min Aung Hlaing was already under sanctions from Western countries following the 2017 crackdown on the Muslim Rohingya minority.
"Sanctioning military leaders is largely symbolic, but the moves to sanction military companies will be much more effective," said Mr Mark Farmaner, director of the Burma Campaign UK group.
Youth leader and activist Thinzar Shunlei Yi applauded Britain's asset freezes and travel bans on three generals as well as steps to stop any aid helping the military and to prevent British businesses working with the army.
Canada said it would act against nine military officials.
Businesses linked to the Myanmar army have a significant stake across the economy in the country of 53 million people, with interests ranging from banking to beer, telecoms and transport.
The army seized back power after alleging fraud in the Nov 8 elections won by Ms Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy, halting a transition to democracy that had begun in 2011 and detaining her and hundreds of others.
Protesters have called for the recognition of last year's election results as well as the release of Ms Suu Kyi and other detainees.
Ms Suu Kyi, 75, faces a charge of violating a Natural Disaster Management Law as well as charges of illegally importing six walkie talkie radios.
Her next court appearance has been set for March 1.
REUTERS
