Three protesters killed in Myanmar
Three protesters were killed in Myanmar on Monday (March 8), according to witnesses, two of them with gunshot wounds to the head.
Photos on Facebook showed the bodies of two men lying on the street in the northern town of Myitkyina.
Protesters say they were taking part in a demonstration when police fired stun grenades and tear gas at them.
Several people were then hit by gunfire from nearby buildings.
It was not immediately clear who fired on the protesters although both police and the military were at the protest.
A military spokesman and local police did not respond to calls asking for comment on the latest incidents.
The U.N. say security forces have killed more than 50 people to quell daily demonstrations and strikes against the February 1st coup.
The generals say they acted because an election in November, which saw Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) secure a big victory, was marred by fraud - a claim rejected by the electoral commission.
In Yangon, shops, factories, and banks were closed as part of the uprising against the country's military rulers.
At least nine unions covering sectors including construction, agriculture and manufacturing have called on "all Myanmar people" to stop work to reverse the coup and restore Suu Kyi's elected government.
Allowing economic activity to continue would help the military "as they repress the energy of the Myanmar people," the unions said in a statement.
State media also said security forces were present at hospitals and universities.
The International Physicians for Human Rights organization said occupation of hospitals was a violation of international law.
The United States and other Western countries have imposed limited sanctions on the junta, and the European Union is preparing to widen its sanctions on Myanmar's armed forces to target businesses they run, according to diplomats and internal documents seen by Reuters.
Australia on Sunday cut defense ties, saying it would only deal with non-government groups in Myanmar.
