A young activist in Myanmar who took part in the bloodiest day of opposition yet said he would rather risk his life protesting than accept the authority of the military regime.
The campaigner, 23, writes his name and blood type on his hand before rallies, and was on the streets on Sunday during the violence which resulted in the deaths of at least 18 people.
He had been helping to run a peaceful ‘guerrilla music event’ in the country’s main city, Yangon, when the military launched a brutal crackdown on those showing dissent to its coup.
The man was with friends who hid in buildings and helped to barricade the streets as police began targeting rallies.
The clampdown by the security services in the country, formerly known as Burma, also left 30 people wounded, according to the UN.
Tear gas, water cannon and stun and flash bang grenades were said to have been used in various locations, while there were reports of gunfire as police tried to clear the streets.
The activist, speaking anonymously for fear of reprisals, had been helping to organise the event, where people gathered to sing protest songs. They then had to barricade the surrounding streets with dumpsters, concrete blocks and other obstacles as security vehicles entered the area.
He found out about the deaths on social media during a break in the performances at the outdoor gathering.
The man told Metro.co.uk: ‘I wouldn’t say I was numb to it, but it’s hard to pinpoint one particular emotion. We want to honour and grieve for the dead at night but we want to continue this fight.
‘One of the protesters had posted [on social media]: How many dead bodies before the UN takes action?”
‘They were his last words, then he was shot. There will be a time to process it but for now we cannot let these deaths be in vain.
‘We have to figure out how to sustain the movement and keep protesting, just being smart about the whole situation. Things are escalating but people’s spirits are high.’
The activist plans to go back out onto the streets despite the risks of being shot or imprisoned under draconian new laws imposed by the military.
He said: ‘We organised the guerrilla concert not only to protest, but to also in the process to help lift people’s spirits through music.
‘It’s scary and when the police passed by our first instinct was to run, but other areas are being targeted much more intensely.
‘I think they were rushing to another location, they didn’t stop to catch us. They were headed to a different area of town.
‘When the security services passed by we took the instruments and hid in the buildings and we used dumpsters and whatever else we could find to barricade the area. Luckily they didn’t try and get through the barricade.’
The activist, who speaks perfect English, has joined a mass opposition movement opposing the junta, which detained national figurehead Aung San Suu Kyi as it seized control of the country in Southeast Asia.
Ms Suu Kyi, 75, was apparently taken from her bed in the early hours as army commander-in-chief Min Aung Hlaing seized power.
The protester – who has a brother in the UK – has been taking part in non-violent acts of resistance along with his parents.
The security situation has disintegrated with social media reports showing one young man believed to have been killed in Yangon.
The activist, who also helps organise the opposition through social media, said: ‘I write my name, blood type and emergency contact on my hand every time I go out. It’s scary but, at least for me, life under the regime is no life at all. I am more afraid of accepting the worst-case scenario.’
More than 1,000 people are said by the UN to have been arrested and detained since the coup on February 1.
The military claims its actions are necessary because of irregularities in last November’s elections, which delivered a landslide victory for Ms Suu Kyi.
While the political activist was not president – due to a clause in the constitution blocking the move because she has children who are overseas citizens – she was widely viewed as the de-facto leader as she returned to her State Counsellor role.
The Nobel Peace Price winner faces four charges including allegedly owning walkie-talkies, her lawyer said today.
The UN said: ‘We strongly condemn the escalating violence against protests in Myanmar and call on the military to immediately halt the use of force against peaceful protesters.’
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