Moscow: An international rights group confirmed on Thursday that a young woman had been shot in the head by Myanmar police after deploying machine guns against peaceful protesters.
On Tuesday, media reported that police used rubber bullets and live fire against protesters in the capital of Naypyitaw. A young woman shot in the head and a man shot in the chest were said to have received the most serious injuries.
“A young woman was shot in the head by Myanmar’s security forces during protests, Amnesty International has confirmed after investigating footage showing the attack. This evidence also contradicts Myanmar military claims that security forces were not carrying lethal weapons,” the rights group said.
According to Amnesty International, citing media reports, “the woman has lost significant brain function and has only a slim chance of survival.”
Images from Tuesday’s protests, meanwhile, appear to depict a police officer wielding a Myanmar-made submachine gun. According to the NGO, the image’s coordinates show that the alleged police gunman was standing at or close to the place from where the woman was shot.
“The serious injuries sustained by this young woman were caused by the Myanmar police firing live ammunition directly towards peaceful protesters,” Sam Dubberley, the head of Amnesty International’s Crisis Evidence Lab, concluded.
He went on to call for a thorough investigation into “abhorrent use of lethal force against protesters.” (UNI)