Woman dies of bullet wound to head during anti-coup protest in Myanmar

A young woman has died of a bullet wound to the head during an anti-coup protest in Myanmar, becoming the first known casualty of days of protests over the past two weeks against a military coup in the country.

Mya Thwate Thwate Khaing, who had just turned 20, died on Friday, her family said.

Video footage circulated online showing the woman suddenly falling to the ground while taking cover from a water cannon behind a bus stop in the capital, Naypyitaw.

At the time of the incident, sources with information about her told CNN that she was taken to hospital with a gunshot wound to the head.

Doctors said the woman was hit by a live bullet.

National League for Democracy Party (NLD) spokesperson Kyi Toe said in a Facebook post that a bullet had pierced the motorcycle helmet she was wearing.

“I feel really sad and have nothing to say,” said Mya’s brother, Ye Htut Aung.

Her death sparked calls for an investigation into the use of force by Myanmar’s security forces.

“The incidents leading up to her death and allegations of live ammunition used by Myanmar police should be investigated,” Human Rights Watch’s Myanmar researcher Manny Maung said in a tweet. “Above all, there should be strong international condemnation and strong consequences against the Myanmar military.”

The military had previously said that it only used anti-riot weapons at the protest near the Thabyegone Roundabout, where Mya was shot, and was investigating reports that two protesters had been injured.

Rights group Amnesty International, however, said it had analyzed footage from days before and after the incident and verified a locally made variant of an Uzi sub-machine gun in the hands of a police officer.

The images that were analyzed were taken from a location near the Thabyegone Roundabout, across the road from where Mya was shot.

“The serious injuries sustained by this young woman were caused by the Myanmar police firing live ammunition directly towards peaceful protesters,” said the head of Amnesty’s crisis evidence lab Sam Dubberley.

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Friday marks two weeks since non-stop protests against the military coup d'état began. The Myanmarese military staged the coup on February 1, ousting the government of de facto leader Aung Sun Suu Kyi.

The military arrested Suu Kyi and her top political allies over accusations of voter fraud in favor of her NLD Party in the November 2020 elections.

The junta has come under pressure by the international community to hand over power to civilians and release the officials.

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The junta has deployed armored vehicles and soldiers in some major cities to crack down on protests on the weekend.

Anti-coup protests were staged in the northern town of Myitkyina on Friday.

Video footage posted on social media showed protesters marching in the city before dispersing when they met a military roadblock.

Baton-wielding police and soldiers arrested about 50 people in Myitkyina, according to human rights activist Stella Naw.

“The military truck is just picking people up from the protest,” she said.

Myanmar’s Assistance Association for Political Prisoners said 521 people had been detained as of Thursday across the country. Of them, 44 had been released.

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