Myanmar Violence Escalates With Rise of 'Self-defense' Groups, Report Says
Voice of America
YANGON, MYANMAR - Violence in post-coup Myanmar has escalated as anti-junta "self-defense" forces step up to take on the military, according to a new report warning of “enormous” human cost if the regime uses its full power in subsequent crackdowns.
Myanmar has been in turmoil since the February coup that ousted Aung San Suu Kyi's government, with more than 880 killed in a junta crackdown on dissent, according to a local monitoring group. In some areas, locals, often using hunting rifles or weapons manufactured at makeshift jungle factories, have formed "defense forces" to fight back. In response, the military has used helicopters and artillery, including against groups in northwestern Chin state and along the eastern border with Thailand.FILE - Afghanistan's Karim Sadiq dives to catch the ball while fielding during the Asia Cup one-day international cricket tournament against Pakistan in Fatullah, near Dhaka, Bangladesh, Feb. 27, 2014. FILE - Afghan national cricket team coach, Taj Maluk, speaks to his team in Kabul, May 27, 2006. FILE - Gujarat Titans' Rashid Khan plays a shot during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Delhi Capitals and Gujarat Titans in New Delhi, India, April 24, 2024. FILE - A sign advertises the Cricket World Cup matches in East Meadow, New York, May 8, 2024.
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Police officers stop and search people near Victoria Park, Hong Kong's traditional venue for the annual 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown vigil, in Hong Kong, June 4, 2024. People gather near a soccer field which in previous years had been used annually for vigils to mark the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, at Victoria Park, Hong Kong, June 4, 2024. This year, the venue was blocked off for a carnival by pro-government groups. (Cindy Sui/VOA) A carnival worker tells members of the public they cannot enter the restricted area until later in the day, at Victoria Park, Hong Kong, June 4, 2024. (Cindy Sui/VOA) A carnival worker guards the perimeter of a closed-off soccer field which traditionally had been used for Tiananmen Square crackdown commemorations, at Victoria Park, Hong Kong, June 4, 2024. (Cindy Sui/VOA)