Second official dies in custody, junta steps up media crackdown

Yangon, March 9

An official from deposed Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) died in custody after he was arrested early on Tuesday, the second party figure to die in detention in two days, as security forces broke up street protests against the military junta.

The police also cracked down independent media, raiding the offices of two news outlets and detaining two journalists. Myanmar has been in crisis since the army ousted Suu Kyi’s elected government in a coup on February 1, detained her and other NLD officials, and set up a ruling junta of generals. The NLD’s Zaw Myat Linn died in custody on Tuesday after he was arrested in the country’s main city of Yangon around 1.30 am, said Ba Myo Thein, a member of the dissolved upper house of parliament. — Reuters

Nun kneels before cops, appeals for peace

• A nun went down on her knees in front of policemen and pleaded with them to stop shooting the protesters.
• However, she did not succeed. Sister Ann Rose Nu Tawng said: “I told them they can kill me.”