Myanmar security forces kill at least 18 protesters

Police and troops used live bullets, stun grenades, and tear gas against protesters Sunday in the deadliest day of protests since the Feb. 1 military coup. The U.N. human rights office strongly condemned the weekend crackdowns in Yangon, Mandalay, and several other cities that led to at least 18 dead and 30 injured. Authorities in Myanmar, also known as Burma, have detained more than 1,100 people since the coup, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners. So far they have released 300.

How have other nations responded? Activists in Thailand, Taiwan, and Hong Kong on Sunday marched in support of the Myanmar protests. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken condemned the violence saying, “We stand firmly with the courageous people of Burma.” On Saturday evening, Myanmar’s state-run television announced the dismissal of Kyaw Moe Tun, Myanmar’s ambassador to the United Nations, after he called for international cooperation to restore democracy and protect the people.

Dig deeper: Read Angela Lu Fulton’s WORLD Magazine report on the protest movement.