Mya Thwet Thwet Khine was a young woman who was protesting against the Myanmar military takeover last week was shot during a demonstration in the capital, Naypyitaw on 9th February just 2 days before her 20th birthday.
A video shows the girl sheltering from water cannons and suddenly dropping to the ground after a bullet penetrated the motorcycle helmet she was wearing.
She was admitted to the hospital and was on life support and according to doctors she had no chance of recovery.
Her sister Mya Thatoe Nwe gave her statement from the hospital’s mortuary and asked people not to give up their struggle to restore democracy. She also said that her sister’s funeral will be held on Sunday.
According to the protestors Mya Thwet Thwet Khine is a hero and commemorated her during demonstrations this week and her death news will inflame passions in the protest movement. The protest is now a nonviolent civil disobedience movement.
According to the military spokesperson of the Myanmar Army they accept that Mya Thwet Thwet Khine was shot by security forces and also claimed that she was a part of the crowd that had thrown rocks at police and the matter is under investigation. However there are no independent accounts of her taking part in any violence.
Naypyitaw police has been accused by Human Rights Watch of having blood on their hands.
As said by Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director of the New York-based group the officer who pulled the trigger must be investigated, arrested, and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and that is the only way to honour the memory of this brave young woman.
The demonstrations continued in the country’s largest city Yangon on Friday.
The Government of the US, UK, and Canada have imposed sanctions on the new military leaders and along with other countries’ governments have called for Suu Kyi’s administration to be restored.
