Female Protesters Shot Dead, Myanmar Military: Not Our Bullets

Evacuation of victims during demonstrations against the military coup. (Twitter / @ MizzimaNews)

JAKARTA - Myanmar's military regime has flatly denied involvement in the killing of a young woman who was shot in the head during a police crackdown on anti-military protesters.

Citing a postmortem report, the Myanmar military said the bullet that lodged in the head and killed Ma Mya Thwet Thwet Khine was different from the type used by security forces. This was conveyed by the military on Sunday evening local time.

Ma Mya Thwet Thwet Khine, a 20-year-old student, was pronounced dead on February 19 after she was hit by a live bullet in Naypyitaw on February 10. She was treated with life-supporting equipment and a brain-dead condition.

"According to the postmortem on February 19, a piece of lead was found in the head of Ma Mya Thwet Thwet Khine. This is different from the ammunition used by the Myanmar Police for crowd control, and the bullets found were not the same as the assault ammunition used by the police", said a military spokesman. in announcements in state media as reported by The Irrawaddy.

"The victims were most likely injured and killed by weapons used by other external forces, not our bullets", added without elaborating.

Meanwhile, UN Special Rapporteur on Myanmar Tom Andrews tweeted on Sunday that he was terrified of seeing more fatalities, including teenage boys in Mandalay, as the junta (committee board) intensified its brutality in Myanmar.

“From water cannons to rubber bullets to tear gas and now hardened troops are shooting at peaceful protesters. This madness must end, now”, he tweeted.

I am horrified at more loss of life, including a teenage boy in Mandalay, as the ruling junta escalates its brutality in Myanmar. From water cannons to rubber bullets to tear gas and now hardened troops firing point blank at peaceful protesters. This madness must end, now! pic.twitter.com/Z5AVV5yCDF

- UN Special Rapporteur Tom Andrews (@RapporteurUn) February 21, 2021