Police fire shots and disperse Myanmar protesters in Yangon
Police in Myanmar's largest city Yangon fired shots and arrested participants Saturday at several locations where protesters had gathered for rallies against the junta, eyewitnesses said on social media.
Massive
action by the security forces and their use of tear gas and rubber bullets
against demonstrators were also reported in other cities.
"Riot police break up anti-coup
protesters for two days in a row on Saturday morning at Hledan and Myaynigone
junctions, the key rallying points in Yangon," the online portal Myanmar
Now tweeted.
According
to Myanmar Now, journalists who reported on the protests were also targeted by
the police in Yangon.
For
weeks, Myanmar has been shaken by mass protests after the military took power
and detained de-facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint. Security
forces have violently cracked down on protesters; three people have been killed
to date and scores detained.
The
demonstrators are demanding Suu Kyi's release and want the civilian government
reinstated.
The
new head of the electoral commission in Myanmar, who was appointed by the
military junta, has meanwhile declared the result of the general election in
November to be invalid.
Thein Soe announced the decision on Friday at a meeting with political parties in the South-east Asian country, The Irrawaddy newspaper reported.
