SINCE the State Administration Council has taken over the country, peaceful protests following the democracy led by NLD members and illegally-formed CRPH and the extremists, who support them, have escalated from insurrection to acts of terrorism.

In some cities, they blocked the roads. They attacked the police stations, military headquarters, ward administration offices, schools and private business buildings, public roads and innocent homes with grenades, homemade mines and grenades and fire bottles.

The members and the supporters of the NLD party attacked a total of 63 police stations, 62 ward administration offices, 52 department buildings, 16 roads and bridges, 13 banks, 105 schools and other buildings from 1 February to 15 April. Moreover, they destroyed by fire a total of 13 industries in the Hlinethaya and Shwepyitha industrial zones and in Insein township, Yangon Region.

Status of being attacked and destroyed from 1.2.2021 to 15.4.2021

They also accused and abducted innocent people who didn’t have the same opinion as to the traitors and killed brutally or punished them inhumanely. There were a total of 17 innocent people who were killed brutally and 30 with severe injuries.

List of people killed/injured as alleged traitors in regions/states from 1.2.2021 to 15.4.2021

Therefore, security forces have been removing roadblocks, patrolling both day and night, arresting terrorists and detaining groups of rioters as per the provision of the Union of Myanmar Riot Manual (1956) and the Riot Monitoring Handbook (2015) of the Myanmar Police Force, the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Since the terrorists led by the extremist members of the NLD party raided the police stations and attacked security forces with live ammunition, security forces had to retaliate as needed depending on the extent of their violence. Due to that, a total of 7 members of the Tatmadaw and 17 police were dead, and 45 Tatmadaw members and 253 police members were injured.

Dead/injured numbers of Tatmadaw members and police members from 1-2-2021 to 15-4-2021

Although there were inevitable casualties on both sides while security forces responded to the insurgents’ attacks in self-defence, the security forces have been accused of firing at peaceful protests by illegitimate media outlets, which the State has shut down, in violation of the law and fake news is being biased. The media, which does not want peace and stability in the country, is plotting to mislead the international community and the public about the security forces’ response, and on the other hand, the misinformation they are writing is being spread by unscrupulous people through social media. The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), a Thai-based illegal organization, has released a list of actual deaths due to the security forces based on figures compiled based on misinformation from social media. According to them, there were a total of 726 deaths as of 15 April.

In the event of a fatal shooting, security forces conduct a systematic autopsy under the law, providing the necessary assistance until the bodies are buried, and keeping a record of all deaths. According to the official records of the Myanmar Police Force, the death toll from 1 February to 15 April is as follows:

List of rioters died in regions/states from 1.2.2021 to 15.4.2021

Of the 258 deaths, only 247 were killed during the clearing operation and the attack on security forces. At the same time, the other 11 were not caused by security forces firing.

It has been found that the AAPP’s list of 726 deaths, which has been circulating on social media, is not the result of gunfire by security forces. There were other types of death: such as Ma Mya Thwate Thwate Khaing and Ma Kyal Sin Lin, who died of shooting against each other among the rioters; U Zaw Myat Lin and Ma Lyan Zwarlee, who died of other ways, U Ko Ko Lay and Daw Tin Nwe Yi died of heart diseases; Yar Zar Aung, who died of COVID-19 disease and others who died of killing by terrorists.

In addition, some of the people on the list of AAPP did not verify their addresses or the names of their fathers and many people whose cause of death is not clearly mentioned. The list also found to be highly bloated, as 76 incidents were reported in the Bago incident on 9 April, but no one was confirmed dead.

It has also been found that there may be missing people who are not confirmed as dead, people under medical treatment in military hospitals for injuries, people fleeing to border areas, and people mentioned under false names and fake addresses just to inflate the list.

The death toll due to the security shootings posted on social media has been misrepresented based on false information and social media reports. The death toll has risen exponentially. Security forces respond to the rioters in a limited manner, and Myanmar Police Force conduct a systematic autopsy on the victims.

MNA

Ref; The Global New Light of Myanmar