People barricaded in a Yangon neighbourhood overnight said on Tuesday that Myanmar security forces searched their homes room by room for anti-coup protesters, targeting apartments flying the flag of Aung San Suu Kyi’s party.
Myanmar has been in turmoil since the military ousted and detained Suu Kyi last month. The police and army have responded with an increasingly brutal crackdown and parts of Yangon have emerged as flashpoints for violence as protesters continue to defy authorities and take to the streets.
Crowds once again flocked to central San Chaung township in the commercial hub to call for Suu Kyi’s release in a Monday protest coinciding with International Women’s Day.
By nightfall, security forces had sealed off a block of streets with around 200 protesters still inside, according to the UN rights office, prompting alarm from diplomatic missions and calls for their safe release.