Yangon
A young woman protester in Myanmar died on Friday after being shot in the head last week as police dispersed a crowd, her brother said, the first death among opponents of the Feb. 1 military coup since demonstrations began two weeks ago.
News of the death came as baton-wielding police and soldiers broke up a procession of people carrying banners of ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi in the northern town of Myitkyina and thousands returned to the streets of the main city of Yangon.
Mya Thwate Thwate Khaing, who had just turned 20, had been on life support since being taken to hospital on Feb. 9, after she was hit by what doctors said was a live bullet at a protest in the capital, Naypyitaw.
“I feel really sad and have nothing to say,” said her brother, Ye Htut Aung, speaking by telephone. Protesters set up a shrine for her on a pavement in Yangon, with pictures, flowers and the flag of Suu Kyi’s party.
“I’m proud of her and I’ll come out until we achieve our goal for her,” Nay Lin Htet, 24, told Reuters. Friday marked two weeks of daily demonstrations against the military’s seizure of power and its detention of veteran democracy campaigner Suu Kyi.—Reuters
