A SERIES OF EXPLOSIONS IN MYANMAR KILLS 5

At least five people were killed after a series of explosions went off in the Central Bago region of Myanmar on Monday, as protests against the hostile military continue.

Three explosions occurred on Monday, killing three police officers who had joined a civil disobedience movement in opposition to February’s military coup, Kyodo News reported citing local media. A villager who had taken in the officers was also killed, and another police officer was seriously injured.

A local council member of the ousted National League for Democracy (NLD) party, led by ex-State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, was among the deceased, according to local media.

Meanwhile, parliamentarians and police officers have been staying in villages in the Bago region to escape the violent crackdowns on protests by the armed forces.

The military rule entered three months on Saturday since the coup on February 1. Since then, a total of 766 people have been killed as the junta intensified its crackdown on anti-coup protests, while 3,614 people have been detained, according to Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), a non-profit.

Furthermore, 50 journalists are currently detained, 25 of whom have been prosecuted. This is in addition to two journalists on bail awaiting trial, and 29 journalists evading arrest warrants, AAPP said.

Last month, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders had urged the head of Myanmar’s military chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, to end the violent crackdown in the country.