Myanmar: deadly fighting after opposition urges nationwide uprising call
- At least 20 people, including teenagers, were killed in clashes between government troops and resistance forces in the Magway region
- This comes after the opposition National Unity Government called for a ‘people’s defensive war’ against military rule following the February coup
The fighting near Gangaw township in the northwestern Magway region started on Thursday, two days after a call for a nationwide uprising was issued by the National Unity Government, an opposition organisation that seeks to coordinate resistance to military rule.
The fighting broke out when more than 100 troops arrived in four military vehicles to secure the area in Myin Thar and five other nearby villages, a resident said.
Members of a lightly armed village self-defence militia fired warning shots but could not stop the soldiers from entering the area and clashes continued after that, said the resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity to safeguard his personal security.
The opposition movement that rose against the army’s February seizure of power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi was initially peaceful, but gradually began fighting back after security forces used deadly force to break up non-violent protests.
The National Unity Government’s call on Tuesday for a “people’s defensive war” has received an enthusiastic response on social media, but its actual impact on the ground is hard to measure.