A series of shots have been reported in Myanmar's Myawaddy, a town in the country’s south-eastern Kayin state, on Sunday as police were dispersing demonstrators, according to Reuters.
Kayin state is located near the border of Myanmar and Thailand.
The media outlet said that a "live video published on Facebook" showed how uniformed police officers carrying guns were making their way through a crowd of demonstrators in Myawaddy and then sounds resembling a firefight were heard.
Clips shared on social media, allegedly coming from Myanmar, show a wave of people dispersing on a road with what sounds like gunshots being fired in the background. No casualties have been reported so far.
Shots fired in MyaWaddy, Myanmar. 🚨‼️ #WhatsHappeningInMyanmar #HeartheVoiceofMyanmar #SaveDemocracy pic.twitter.com/mKWkWWwZB5
— Kyaw Thu Han (@erickyaww) February 7, 2021
Shots heard when #Myanmar police break up a protest in southeastern town of Myawaddy pic.twitter.com/tbp71WSqah
— Regional Security Advisory (@regsecadvisory) February 7, 2021
The development apparently took place as tens of thousands of people in Myanmar took to the streets on Sunday to decry the military coup that took place in the country at the start of the week. On Monday, military brass put the country's elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi, President Win Myint, and other key politicians behind bars and declared a one-year state of emergency following allegations that the November 2020 elections were rigged.
The demonstrations have been taking place since Saturday, with protesters calling for the release of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Police officers were seen blocking the main roads into Yangon with riot shields while carrying bulletproof vests, but no major clashes were reported as crowds marched through the city giving a three-finger salute - a symbol associated with the "fight for democracy".
The anti-coup demonstrations across the country have until now reportedly been peaceful.
During the mass protests, the Internet apparently went down in Myanmar's largest city, Yangon, but has now been restored, according to witness accounts cited by Reuters.
Cybersecurity watcher NetBlocks later confirmed that the Internet has been "partially" restored in the country, but that Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and other social media platforms remain blocked.
ℹ️ Update: Partial restoration of internet connectivity confirmed in #Myanmar from ~2 pm local time on multiple providers following information blackout. However:
— NetBlocks (@netblocks) February 7, 2021
➡️ It remains unclear if restoration will be sustained
➡️ Social media remain blocked
📰 https://t.co/Jgc20OBk27 pic.twitter.com/gX2t49OkhB
During the protests in Yangon on Sunday, thousands of people were seen carrying red balloons - the colour associated with Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy.
Hundreds of Myanmar lawmakers rejected the military takeover of the government in a video declaration shared on Friday, saying that they were the sole legitimate representatives of the country. The statement was published on Facebook, a platform that is currently inaccessible to people in the country.
According to a statement from the local Telenor Myanmar telecommunications company, mobile operators were initially ordered by the military to shut down the data network amid concerns over the spread of "fake news" and threats to the stability of the nation.
