Eight reported killed as Myanmar protests surge
Myanmar security forces opened fire on protesters on Sunday, killing at least eight people in some of the biggest demonstrations against military rule in days, three months after a coup plunged the country into crisis.
Local media reported that the protests were coordinated with demonstrations in Myanmar communities around the world to mark what organizers called "the global Myanmar spring revolution."
Streams of demonstrators made their way through cities and towns across the country, including the commercial hub of Yangon.
The deaths, reported by multiple local media outlets, were spread out across different cities and towns.
Reuters could not verify the reports and a spokesman for the ruling junta did not answer calls seeking comment.
A video obtained by Reuters showed two Myanmar police officers, and two men in plain clothes, detaining three people on the street in Yangon on Sunday and putting them in what appears to be a civilian car.
The protests come in the wake of the February 1st ouster of the government led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.
Wars with ethnic minority insurgents have also intensified since the coup, displacing tens of thousands of civilians, according to United Nations estimates.
