Mandalay, Army soldiers kill a 7-year-old girl
by Francis Khoo Thwe

The little girl was shot dead while sitting on her father's lap. Two more people killed in Mandalay: in a sort of revenge by the security forces. Today a "silent strike", throughout the country in contrast to the junta which forces state employees and labourers to return to work.


Yangon (AsiaNews) - A 7-year-old girl was killed yesterday afternoon during a raid by the security forces in the Chanmyathazi neighborhood in Mandalay. The little girl was shot in the stomach while she was sitting on her father’s lap.

According to eye witness accounts collected by Myanmar Now, when they arrived in the neighborhood at 4 pm, the soldiers violently entered the little girl's house, forcing the whole family to sit down. The military asked if all the members were present there. The father said yes, but the soldiers accused him of lying and shot him. The bullet, however, hit the little girl, whose name is Khin Myo Chit.

They then started beating one of his sons, a 19-year-old, until he bled, and then took him away, suspecting him of participating in pro-democracy demonstrations. As soon as the soldiers left, the father took his little daughter to the hospital, but there was nothing to be done.

In the Aung Pin Le area, also in Mandalay, two other people were killed: Tin Soe Oo, 30, and Chan Thar Htwe, 20. Aung Pin's killings appear to you as a military revenge. Three days ago, the people of the neighbourhood tried to stop the soldiers who wanted to clear the barricades built by the activists. In the scuffles, a street vendor, Tut Kyi, was killed.

According to local media, on March 21 in Mandalay, security forces killed at least 9 people. The next day, in a raid, the military killed 8 people, including a 14-year-old boy.

The Association for Aid to Political Prisoners says the junta's armed forces have so far killed at least 275 people, including many teenagers.

Today a "silent strike" is taking place throughout the country: the population is invited to stay at home to honour all those who have died fighting for freedom.

The strike also serves to thwart the junta's attempts to force state employees, shopping centres and shops to reopen to get the economy hit by civil disobedience back into operation. To avoid confrontation with the military, yesterday there were demonstrations and candlelight vigils at night in Yangon and Thahton (Mon State).