Opponents of Myanmar’s coup protested again on Saturday and international pressure grew on the military junta to halt its repression of democracy supporters, with Asian neighbours joining Western countries in condemning lethal force.
A young man was shot and killed in one of the most turbulent neighbourhoods of the main city of Yangon, a resident and media reported, taking the death toll since the February 1 coup to 238, according to a tally by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners activist group.
The bloodshed has not quelled public anger over the return of military rule, the ouster of the elected government and the detention of its leader, Aung San Suu Kyi.
But some activists say they have had to adapt tactics.
“We protest where there are no police or military, then when we hear they’re coming, we disperse quickly,” campaigner Kyaw Min Htike told Reuters from Dawei in the south before he and others staged a brief rally outside the town centre.
“We’ll protest any way we can until our revolution prevails.”
Some groups gather at night with candles and placards, then melt away after taking photographs. People also stage “unmanned” protests, with rows of placards with messages like “We will never stop until we get democracy” set up on a street.
On Saturday, dozens of demonstrators gathered in the second city of Mandalay. Several were injured when a vehicle drove into them and when police fired rubber bullets, a city news portal reported. It was not clear why the vehicle hit the protesters.
There were small protests in other towns, including Kyaukme and Hsipaw in the northeast, Kawlin in the north, Hpa-an and Myawaddy in the east, Labutta in the Irrawaddy river delta, Myeik in the south and the central town of Yay Oo, according to news portals and social media.
