Myanmar’s military opened fire on protesting healthcare workers Thursday, killing at least one bystander as the demonstrators fled for safety to a nearby mosque.
In Myanmar’s second-largest city Mandalay, a demonstration by medical workers Thursday turned violent when soldiers opened fire, sending them running to the mosque.
“They were shooting everywhere… they were targeting the Sule mosque compound because people in there were hiding protesters,” said an eyewitness.
A 30-year-old man who lived in the compound was shot dead, and at least two others were injured, said a doctor who treated the wounded.
“The man who died was shot from the back and it penetrated through his chest,” he told AFP.
A medic who participated in the protest said he saw the arrest of six nurses and doctors during the crackdown.
“We lost contact with some medical team members as well,” he told AFP.
Myanmar’s healthcare workers have been at the forefront of a nationwide civil disobedience movement, refusing to return to work under a military regime. Their absence has left many of the country’s hospitals unstaffed during the pandemic.
Civil servants from other sectors have followed suit, bringing the operation of the country’s banks, schools, railway operations, and businesses to a halt.
The junta has tried to force people back to work, and on Thursday, state-run media reported that at least 20 doctors participating in the movement will be charged for attempting to “deteriorate peace and stability”.
Source – Mizzima News ( https://mizzima.com/article/myanmar-military-shoots-protesting-medical-workers )
