At least 755 killed since coup in Myanmar: Rights group

By Devina Halim

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AA) - At least 755 people have been killed since the Feb. 1 coup as Myanmar's military continues to use brutal methods to quell anti-coup protests, a local monitoring group.

Two more people were killed on Monday and the fatalities were documented on Tuesday, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners said in its latest report.

As many as 3,448 people are under detention, 79 of them have been convicted and 1,200 have been issued arrest warrants.

"On April 27, people across the country remained on the streets to protest the dictatorship despite atrocities of shooting and torturing by the terrorists," the group said.

It added that recently the junta has been cracking down on media and trying to cover up their violence and crimes to both international and domestic audiences.

A former journalist of the Democratic Voice of Burma was taken to an interrogation center on Sunday, while the Mandalay-based editor-in-chief of Voice of Myanmar (VOM) was arrested on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the military used rocket launchers and artillery in an attack on the mountainous town of Mindat in Chin State, according to a report by Myanmar Now news agency.

This came a day after more than 10 of its soldiers were reported killed in shootouts with local resistance fighters.

Last week, leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations reached a consensus on steps to end violence and promote dialogue between the rival Myanmar sides.

Pro-democracy protests have taken place in cities and towns across the country since the military takeover.

The military overthrew the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, detained her and other leaders of the National League for Democracy, then cracked down with lethal force on anti-coup protesters.

Suu Kyi's party won a second term in November, but the military said rigging in the polls had forced it to seize power.

*Writing by Rhany Chairunissa Rufinaldo with Anadolu Agency's Indonesian language services in Jakarta