Myanmar death toll edges up to 550 as online crackdown tightens

Security forces in central Myanmar opened fire on anti-coup protesters on Saturday in violence that a human rights group said has killed 550 civilians since the February 1 military takeover.

The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners activist group said security forces have killed 550 people, 46 of them children, since the military overthrew an elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi.

Some 2,751 people have been detained or sentenced, the group said.

At least two deaths were reported on Friday, with several more reported on Saturday, including in Monywa, the largest city in the Sagaing region. Saturday marks one week since the deadliest day of the anti-government protests.

In Mandalay, there were reports of security forces opening fire at protesters and destroying barricades.

Videos posted on social media also showed security forces firing at protesters and detaining others in Loikaw township in Kayah state.

Despite the repression, opponents of the coup march every day in cities and towns across the country, often holding what they call “guerrilla rallies” – small, quick shows of defiance before security forces can respond.

Photos posted on social media showed hundreds of people marching against the military government in the southern city of Dawei in Tanintharyi region on Saturday.