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The number of police officers refusing to obey the orders of the military junta in Myanmar has risen to more than 100 a day after a bloody strike by protesters against the coup.
More than 60 people have been killed and more than 1,000 arrested during a series of anti-coup demonstrations in Myanmar cities and towns protesting martial law following the February 1 coup. The days of February 28 and March 3 were the bloodiest since the coup.
According to local media reports, after the bloody crackdown on protesters, a number of police officers joined the movement against the junta.
Local media “Irrawaddy” reported that the number of police officers who changed sides has increased to more than 100. The first group of deserting police officers took place in Loikaw, the capital of the country’s smallest state-Kaya, during the first week of protests against the coup. Footage of the dramatic move in which 49 protesting police officers were defended by protesters was posted on social media from the headquarters of the Loikaw Kantarawaddy Times on February 10.
Acting Police Colonel Tin Min Tun of Yangon Police Department was the highest-ranking officer who joined the civil disobedience movement this week. In a video message sent to another local media outlet, Mizzima News, Tin Min Tun said police and soldiers had crossed the red line, citing the killing of anti-coup protesters in the North Okalapas town of Yangon on Wednesday.
“People in North Okalapa were peacefully unarmed civilians seeking the restoration of democracy. “They were mostly young people defending their rights,” he said in the video. “Do you not feel ashamed of killing these people?” “You guys are doing worse than you did on the battlefield,” he said. After Wednesday’s bloodiest day of riots that left at least 37 people dead, many police officers have refused to take orders from the military junta.
The Burma BBC Service reported this week that more than 70 police officers have left the ranks and joined the anti-junta movement.
Departures from police ranks were also reported in the northern state of Kachin on the border with China, the state of Chin on the border with India and the southern coastal region of Tanintharyi this week. Ngun Hnin Thang was among the police officers who opposed the army order to shoot protesters in Falam town of Chin state.
“How could we shoot peaceful protesters?” It’s like killing our family members. “That is why we refused to take orders,” he told AA in a message. He said he hid to avoid arrest by police but vowed to continue supporting the anti-coup movement.
Myanmar NOW, a well-known media outlet in the country, also reported on Tuesday that in solidarity with anti-coup protesters, 12 Myanmar military members joined the Karen National Union (KNU), an armed wing political organization that claims to represent the population of the state of Karen./AA
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