Atleast 38 killed and several Chinese factories set on fire since Coup in Myanmar

Myanmar security forces killed at least 38 people Sunday in one of the deadliest days since the military seized power in a coup, and declared martial law in six areas after Chinese-funded factories were set on fire.

The biggest flashpoint was in Hlaing Tharyar, a poor, industrial suburb of Yangon, Myanmar’s largest city. At least 22 people were killed there, as several garment factories financed by Chinese owners were vandalized and set on fire. It couldn’t immediately be determined who started the fires.

China’s embassy in Myanmar said on Sunday that many Chinese employees were trapped inside and injured as the factories burned. It called on protesters to express their concerns lawfully and urged authorities to punish those responsible. Several Chinese-funded factories were smashed and set ablaze in Yangon’s industrial zone during protests on Sunday, according to the embassy.

At least 16 people were killed in other regions around the country on Sunday, including in the second city of Mandalay and in Bago, where state media said a police officer had died of a chest wound after a confrontation with protesters, Reuters reported. This is the second policeman reported dead in the protests.

A total of 126 people have so far been killed in “violent and arbitrary crackdowns” since the coup, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) said, warning that casualties were “drastically increasing”. The number of people arrested rose to more than 2,150 people by Saturday, it added.