Myanmar

(Reuters) - Rubbish piled up on the streets of Myanmar’s main city on Tuesday after activists launched a “garbage strike” to oppose military rule as the toll of pro-democracy protesters killed by the security forces since a Feb. 1 coup rose to more than 500.

Security forces shot and killed one man in the southernmost town of Kawthaung as they cleared the streets, the Mizzima news portal reported, and one person was killed in the northern town of Myitkyina, a relative of the 23-year-old victim told Reuters.

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — Thai authorities along the country’s northwestern border braced themselves Monday for a possible influx of more ethnic Karen villagers fleeing new airstrikes from the Myanmar military.

Myanmar military aircraft carried out three strikes overnight Sunday into Monday, according to Free Burma Rangers, a humanitarian relief agency that delivers medical and other assistance to villagers. The strikes possibly injured one person but caused no apparent fatalities, a member of the agency said.

28 Mar 2021; MEMO: Turkey on Saturday "strongly condemned" the most violent crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Myanmar when the ruling military regime put on a show of its strength on its annual Armed Forces Day, Anadolu Agency reported.

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — As Myanmar’s military celebrated the annual Armed Forces Day holiday with a parade Saturday in the country’s capital, soldiers and police elsewhere killed scores of people while suppressing protests in the deadliest bloodletting since last month’s coup.

The online news site Myanmar Now reported late Saturday that the death toll had reached 114.

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — Myanmar security forces reportedly killed 93 people Saturday in the deadliest day since last month’s military coup.

A count issued by an independent researcher in Yangon who has been compiling near-real time death tolls put the total as darkness fell at 93, spread over more than two dozen cities and towns.

The online news site Myanmar Now reported the death toll had reached 91.

Both numbers are higher than all estimates for the previous high on March 14, which ranged from 74 to 90.

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — The head of Myanmar’s junta on Saturday used the occasion of the country’s Armed Forces Day to try to justify the overthrow of the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, as protesters marked the holiday by calling for even bigger demonstrations.

(Reuters) - Myanmar security forces shot and killed three anti-junta protesters on Friday, witnesses said, as the World Bank warned the country’s economy could slump 10% this year due to the turmoil since last month’s coup.

“Two were killed by head shots,” said a witness who saw security forces open fire on protesters waving black flags in the southern town of Myeik.

“We cannot pick up the (third) dead body as many security forces are there,” the witness told Reuters, adding that several other people were wounded. The witness requested anonymity for fear of retribution.

(Reuters) -Myanmar security forces fired at pro-democracy activists taking part in street demonstrations on Thursday, killing at least four people, news reports said, a day after a nationwide silent strike in protest against last month’s military coup.

Four people were killed in the town of Taunggyi in central Myanmar in the shooting, the Myanmar Now news portal said.

Thousands of people held street protests in the commercial capital Yangon, the central city of Monywa and several other towns, according to witnesses and social media posts.

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — Associated Press journalist Thein Zaw and several other members of the media who have been charged under a public order law while covering anti-coup protests in Myanmar are returning to court Wednesday.

It is the second round of hearings for the journalists, who were arrested on Feb. 27 and face up to three years behind bars. Thein Zaw’s lawyer, Tin Zar Oo, said after the first hearing on March 12 that she might be able to submit an application for bail on Wednesday.

(Reuters) - Protesters honked car horns in Myanmar on Monday and planted posters in an empty square to avoid arrest, injury or death as the European Union prepared to impose sanctions on 11 people linked to last month’s coup and subsequent crackdown.

At least 250 people have been killed so far in anti-junta protests which the security forces are trying to stamp out, according to figures from the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners activist group.