YANGON: At least 18 anti-coup protesters were killed on Sunday in one of the deadliest days since Myanmar was thrust back under military rule, as a group of ousted MPs urged citizens to “defend themselves” during the nation’s “darkest moment”.

But the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, an advocacy group, put the death toll at 38, 22 of them in the Hlaingtharyar district of Yangon alone, The death toll would equal that of March 3, which had previously recorded more deaths than any other day.

Myanmar has been in turmoil since the military wrenched civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi from power in a February 1 putsch, triggering a mass uprising that has seen hundreds of thousands protest daily for a return to democracy.

A group of elected MPs, many of whom are in hiding, have now formed a shadow “parliament” called the Committee for Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (CRPH) — the Burmese terms for the country’s governing bloc — to denounce the military regime.

Junta imposes martial law on two townships in Yangon

They issued a statement saying protesters had the “full right to defend themselves” under the country’s penal code against security forces who are “harming and causing violence”.

Soldiers and police have in recent weeks been staging near-daily crackdowns against demonstrators calling for a return to democracy — deploying tear gas, rubber bullets and live rounds to quell anti-coup protests.

In Yangon’s massive Hlaing Tharyar township, police and soldiers faced off against protesters wielding sticks and knives as they hid behind makeshift barricades, fleeing after the security forces opened fire.

Protesters — using cut-out trash cans as shields — managed to retrieve the injured, but a doctor said not all could be reached.

“I can confirm 15 have died,” the doctor said, adding that she had treated about 50 people with injuries.

The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners monitoring group — which verifies arrests and fatalities since the coup — confirmed a higher death toll. State-run media on Sunday night reported that the junta had declared martial law over two townships in Yangon. The announcement about imposing “judicial martial law” on Hlaing Tharyar and neighbouring Shwepyitha townships came after the area saw at least 15 killed in crackdowns by security forces against anti-coup protesters.

Published in Dawn, March 15th, 2021