Myanmar junta imposes martial law in Yangon as ‘20 more protesters shot dead in Mandalay’

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Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

Myanmar's military junta declared martial law in swathes of the country's largest city on Monday as 20 more pro-democracy supporters were reportedly shot dead in clashes with security forces.

State broadcaster MRTV said the Yangon townships of North Dagon, South Dagon, Dagon Seikkan and North Okkalapa were now controlled by the military.

That was in addition to two other townships – Hlaing Thar Yar and neighbouring Shwepyitha – that entered martial law on Sunday.

The announcement stated that military commanders in Yangon would take over the administration of districts, including the courts, MRTV said.

The courts martial have the authority to hand down the death sentence or long prison terms for a range of offences. These include treason and dissent, obstructing the military or civil service, spreading untrue information, and crimes related to unlawful association.

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The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) said at least 20 people had been gunned down on Monday in shootings by security forces, bringing the total number of protesters killed since the military coup earlier this year to around 183.

US State Department spokesperson Jalina Porter said the military's violence against protesters was "immoral and indefensible".

A junta spokesperson did not answer a Reuters request for comment.

Myanmar's military seized control of power on 1 February following a general election where the elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi, of the National League for Democracy Party (NLD), secured a landslide victory.

The military had backed the opposition party, who had called for a recount of ballots at the election claiming widespread voter fraud.

But Myanmar's election commission found no evidence that irregularities had taken place at the election. Despite the findings, Ms Suu Kyi and members of her party were scooped up and arrested in dawn raids.

Protests have broken out frequently in cities across the country since the military assumed power. Supporters of Ms Suu Kyi took to the streets again on Monday despite the killing of dozens of protesters on Sunday in the bloodiest day since the coup.

Marches took place on Monday in the second city Mandalay and in the central towns of Myingyan and Aunglan, where police opened fire, witnesses and media reported.

"One girl got shot in the head and a boy got shot in the face," an 18-year-old protester in Myingyan told Reuters by telephone. "I'm now hiding."

The AAPP said a total of 74 people died on Sunday, many of them in demonstrations in Hlaingthaya, a factory area. Twenty were killed in the clashed on Monday, the group said.

In total, 183 people have been killed by security forces in the weeks of protests against the coup and the casualties were drastically increasing, the AAPP added.

United Nations secretary-general Antonio Guterres urged the Myanmar military to allow a visit by his special envoy to help calm the situation and set the stage for dialogue and a return to democracy.

"The killing of demonstrators, arbitrary arrests and the reported torture of prisoners violates fundamental human rights and stand in clear defiance of calls by the Security Council for restraint, dialogue and a return to Myanmar's democratic path," his spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, said.

Additional reporting by agencies