A group of women hold torches as they protest against the military coup in Yangon, on July 14, 2021.Two years after Myanmar's military coup, a young factory worker turned resistance fighter mourns the loss of his leg in battle.
US-based conflict monitoring group Acled says about 19,000 people died last year as a crackdown on protests led many to take up arms against the military. The stories of four people reflect a crisis the UN special envoy last week warned was taking a "catastrophic toll" on the population."I didn't know if I had been hit or not," the 21-year-old told Reuters, recalling the military attack last year that cost him his leg.
"When they shoot, they shoot continuously, we can't even raise our head," he said. "We need to save bullets as well." His wife, stuck in Myanmar with his daughter after the Covid-19 pandemic, encouraged him to speak out. Japan's government extended Aung Soe Moe's diplomatic visa so he could remain in Tokyo, but he can't work and that visa expires in July. Japan's foreign ministry declined to comment on his future status.