A military vehicle drove through a group of protesters in Myanmar on Sunday, resulting in fatalities and leaving at least eight people injured, according to the local news media, witnesses and video footage from the scene.
The episode occurred on Sunday morning in Yangon, Myanmar’s most populous city. Soldiers fired into the group, according to two witnesses. A video of the incident included the sound of gunfire, but it was not clear who or what was being fired upon.
There were conflicting reports on fatalities. The Irrawaddy and Myanmar Now, two news outlets that cover Myanmar, reported that five protesters had died. One witness said the soldiers had also kicked the wounded protesters and arrested several others.
The excessive force used by the military as it has tried to quell protests against a Feb. 1 coup has infuriated people throughout the country and could very well spur more demonstrations. Despite the harsh punishments meted out by the junta, hundreds of people have organized flash-mob protests — including the one on Sunday — in cities and villages across the country to show opposition to military rule.
On Sunday, the demonstrators had gathered between 8 and 9 a.m. in the western part of Yangon. They marched through the streets, holding a banner with a portrait of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the country’s ousted civilian leader, who was detained in the coup. Another banner carried a quote of hers: “The only real prison is fear, and the real freedom is freedom from fear.”
The protest came a day before a court is expected to deliver the first of several verdicts against Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi, who is facing 11 charges and a maximum imprisonment of 102 years.
On Sunday, the protesters held up their hands in a three-finger salute that originated in the “Hunger Games” series and is used universally in Myanmar as a symbol of resistance against the military. According to video footage, they yelled, “Return back the people’s power,” and “Free all political prisoners.” A witness said there were roughly 30 people in the flash mob.
Videos posted on social media showed the military truck accelerating through the group as several protesters ran in the opposite direction. Photographs showed a body lying in the middle of the road and scattered roses on the ground, with several injured people sitting on the side.
In a statement on Facebook, the U.S. Embassy in Myanmar said it was “horrified” by the reports and called on the junta “to end the use of violence, release those unjustly detained and respect the will of the people.”
Understanding the Chaos in Myanmar Card 1 of 5 Myanmar is on the verge of civil war. Following a military coup on Feb. 1, unrest has been growing. Peaceful pro-democracy demonstrations have given way to insurgent uprisings against the Tatmadaw, the country’s military, which ousted the country’s civilian leader, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.
Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi is a polarizing figure. The daughter of a hero of Myanmar’s independence, Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi remains very popular at home. Internationally, her reputation has been tarnished by her recent cooperation with the same military generals who ousted her.
The coup ended a short span of quasi-democracy. In 2011, the Tatmadaw implemented parliamentary elections and other reforms. Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi came to power as state councillor in 2016, becoming the country’s de facto head of government.
The coup was preceded by a contested election. In the Nov. 8 election, Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi’s party won 83 percent of the body’s available seats. The military, whose proxy party suffered a crushing defeat, refused to accept the results of the vote.
Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi could face time in prison. She was detained by the junta and secretly put on trial. If convicted of all 11 charges against her, which include “inciting public unrest,” she could be sentenced to a maximum of 102 years in prison.
“The military’s widespread use of brutal violence underscores the urgency of restoring Burma’s path to inclusive democracy,” the embassy said, referring to Myanmar by its former name.
One of the injured protesters, who asked not to be named, fearing official retribution, said the protesters had been caught unaware because the military vehicle suddenly overtook a bus, which was right behind the protesters.
When the vehicle plowed into the group, the injured protester said, he fell on the hood of the vehicle and a soldier struck his head with the butt of his gun. He said he kicked the soldier, who fired in his direction but missed.
In the aftermath, soldiers flooded the streets of Yangon. One photograph showed a soldier standing over a protester, who knelt in front of a sign that said, “The Yangon People’s Revolution cannot be defeated.”
On Sunday afternoon, dozens of people gathered in Yangon, carrying umbrellas in the rain and singing a lullaby in tribute to the protesters who had died. All of them held up three fingers.