Military truck rams protesters in Myanmar, leaving 5 dead

Witnesses said soldiers also fired into the crowd and kicked wounded demonstrators, the latest in a series of confrontations in which the military’s behavior has infuriated citizens.

A military vehicle drove through a group of protesters in Myanmar on Sunday, resulting in fatalities and leaving at least eight people injured, according to the local news media, witnesses and video footage from the scene.

The incident occurred on Sunday morning in Yangon, Myanmar’s most populous city. Soldiers fired into the group, according to two eyewitnesses. A video of the incident included the sound of gunfire, but it was not clear who or what was being fired upon.

There were conflicting reports on fatalities. The Irrawaddy and Myanmar Now, two news outlets that cover Myanmar, reported that four protesters had died. One witness said the soldiers had also kicked the wounded protesters and arrested several others.

The excessive force used by the military as it has tried to quell protests against a Feb. 1 coup has infuriated people throughout the country and could very well spur more demonstrations. Despite the harsh punishments meted out by the junta, hundreds of people have organized flash-mob protests — including the one on Sunday — in cities and villages across the country to show opposition to military rule.

SOURCE: NEWS AGENCIES