Six rebels killed by Myanmar military, anti-coup force says

Rebel group formed in Myanmar after February coup says 10 members were wounded this week amid intensified fighting.

With mobile data blocked across the country, details about the fighting have been slow to come out, and on-the-ground verification is made harder as locals are fearful of retaliation [File: Reuters]

Six opposition rebels have been killed by the military after days of clashes in Myanmar, an anti-coup defence force made up of civilians said Sunday, as the United Kingdom and the United States condemned the military’s violence against civilians.

Since the military seized power in a February 1 coup, detaining and deposing civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, a nationwide uprising has refused to back down on its demands for a return to democracy.

Bombings are reported daily and local militias have been formed to confront the army, while anti-military protests have been maintained across the Southeast Asian country and strikes by opponents of the coup have paralysed the economy.

In the western state of Chin, the town of Mindat has emerged as a hotspot for unrest, where some residents have formed the Chinland Defence Force (CDF).

“Six members of our CDF who tried to protect the security of the people in Mindat attacked [the military] and sacrificed their lives for the national revolution,” said a CDF statement on Sunday.

A spokesman also told the AFP news agency that more than 10 members have been wounded this week, while five Mindat residents were arrested by the military.

With mobile data blocked across the country, details about the fighting have been slow to come out, and on-the-ground verification is made harder as locals are fearful of retaliation.

The spokesman, who declined to be named, said CDF fighters set fire to several army trucks, destroying them, and ambushed reinforcement troops, while the military has attacked the town with artillery.

By Sunday, the CDF had retreated into the jungle, he said.

“We will not stay any more in the town … but we will come back to attack soon,” he said. “We only have homemade guns. This was not enough.”

He added that residents remaining in Mindat – which has been under martial law since Thursday – were afraid to leave their homes for fear of being targeted by the military.

Violence ‘cannot be justified’

The US and UK embassies in Myanmar sounded the alarm on Saturday on the unrest in Mindat, calling for security forces to cease violence.

“The military’s use of weapons of war against civilians, including this week in Mindat, is a further demonstration of the depths the regime will sink to to hold onto power,” the US embassy said in a tweet on Saturday.

“Attacks on civilians are illegal and cannot be justified,” said the British embassy, referring to reports of violence from Mindat.

“Evidence of atrocities should be sent to the [United Nations Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar] so perpetrators can be held to account,” the embassy tweeted, referring to a committee that collects evidence of international crimes.

‘Keep the faith’

At least 796 people have been killed by security forces since the February 1 coup, according to a local monitoring group, while nearly 4,000 people are behind bars.

Despite the threat of violence and arrest, protesters across Myanmar continue to take to the streets daily for democracy – with some also cheering on Mindat’s defence force for their resistance.

Local media showed images of residents in central Monywa city holding a night strike on Saturday, spelling out the words “Hang in there, Mindat” with candles.

On Sunday, demonstrators in northern Hpakant marched through the jade-producing district holding signs that said “Stay strong, Mindat! We, Hpakant, are always behind you!”

Pope Francis on Sunday held a special service for Myanmar inside the Vatican’s Saint Peter’s Basilica, in which he called for an end to the bloodshed and appealed to the faithful not to lose hope.

“In these days when your beloved country of Myanmar is experiencing violence, conflict and repression, let us ask ourselves: what we are being called to keep? In the first place, to keep the faith,” the 84-year-old pontiff said.

Francis has spoken up on the Myanmar crisis multiple times since the coup, urging the military government to respect a “democratic coexistence” with the people while calling for the release of political leaders.

Source: News Agencies