About 300 protesters were reportedly arrested Wednesday during the military junta’s continuing crackdown against anti-regime demonstrations in Yangon’s North Oakkalapa Township.
Security forces used teargas, rubber bullets and live rounds of ammunition against a gathering of thousands of protesters near the township’s Kantharyar Park on Wednesday morning.
During the assault, hundreds of protesters who ran into the park were arrested by security forces.
At least, a dozen of people were injured during the crackdown.
A charity group told The Irrawaddy they had treated three protesters who were injured during the assault. The group said that they transferred another protesters who received a serious injury to his pubic region to a hospital for surgery.
Security forces also took action against protesters who gathered near the park calling for the release of those arrested.
Amid official statements by the US and EU in Myanmar calling for the release of detainees, security forces needed 10 vehicles Wednesday evening to haul away those newly arrested in this latest skirmish.
Earlier Wednesday, security forces raided the staff quarters of the Myanma Railways Mahlwagone locomotive shed in Mingalar Taung Nyunt Township.
About 800 railway staff members were reportedly evicted by security forces for having joined the nationwide civil disobedience movement (CDM) against the military regime.
One of the Myanma Railways staff told The Irrawaddy that only those staff members who are not in the CDM movement were allowed to stay in the quarters. Riot police and soldiers are still deployed in the area.
“We all are leaving the quarters because we will go ahead for the CDM movement,” the railway staff said.
The nationwide civil disobedience movement was initiated by hundreds of doctors and nurses from the government hospitals in Yangon and Mandalay. It continues to gain momentum after being joined by the tens of thousands of government staff.
The military regime is intensifying its crackdown against the anti-regime demonstrations and CDM participation by civil servants.
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