Protesters set up barricade during an anti-coup protest march in Yangon, Myanmar, Monday, March 1, 2021. Defiant crowds returned to the streets of the country’s biggest city on Monday, determined to continue their protests against the military’s seizure of power a month ago, despite security forces having killed at least 18 people around the country just a day earlier. (AP Photo)
Daily round-up of the latest events in Myanmar by ThaiPBS World correspondent David Tun.
March 1 – Protests continue, in defiance of the brutal crackdowns by the police and the military. It seems that the military have decided to reinforce Yangon with more than just infantry regiments, as military in Navy uniforms have been seen in some townships of Yangon.
There were no confirmed deaths reported today, but many people were reportedly injured.
Home invasions during the day are now also a regular occurrence, as military and police break down doors and reportedly assault people in their homes.
The police raided a church in Kachin state, when an alleged police informant was captured and detained there. At least 11 people were arrested at the church, including Christian ministers. In Mandalay, the Phalan Bo mosque was also raided, for allegedly sheltering protestors.
Local media, Voice of Myanmar (VOM), reported a list of fatalities since February 1st. The toll came to 23, with speculation that some of the deaths were omitted only because of lack of detail and accurate information.
The Central Bank of Myanmar has announced that individuals can only withdraw a maximum of 500,000 kyats (about 10,720 baht) from ATMs per day, 2 million Kyats (about 42,900 baht) per week and 20 million Kyats per week for businesses.
As protestors gear up for another day of battles against security forces, they are also waiting to see whether the internet will be cut as scheduled, because today is the last day of the announced daily internet cuts.
In Myeik, the police tried to arrest a journalist from DVB – Democratic Voice of Burma. In the videos online, he is seen asking the police why they had come. The police started throwing rocks and using slingshots against him, even as the journalists told them to stop and that he would surrender.