(AP Photo/Thein Zaw)
The wanton murders of protesters at the hands of the military in Myanmar continued over the weekend, with dozens of casualties reported across the country. The United Nations reported on Monday that at least 138 civilians have been reported killed by the military since it seized power last month, and on Sunday the acting head of the nation’s civilian government that was ousted in the military coup announced plans to change the country’s law and empower citizens to act in self-defense.
Mahn Win Khaing Than, the acting leader of Myanmar’s parallel civilian government, addressed the public via Facebook on Saturday, saying, “This is the darkest moment of the nation and the moment that the dawn is close.”
(AP Photo/Thein Zaw)
At least 38 unarmed protesters in Myanmar were shot and killed by the military on Wednesday, as CNN declared that the country is now a “war zone.” I’d argue that a war actually involves two sides shooting at each other. What we’re witnessing in Myanmar at the moment is a massacre, because civilians aren’t shooting back. In fact, in Myanmar they’re not even allowed to possess a firearm.
On paper, Myanmar law recognizes the right to own a firearm; kind of like how New Jersey recognizes the right to carry a gun in self-defense. In practice, legal gun ownership in Myanmar and the ability to carry a firearm in New Jersey are restricted to a chosen few, with government officials doling out permission to just a handful of individuals.