Aung San Suu Kyi party official dies in police custody

YANGON: An official from the party of deposed Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi died overnight in police custody, reports say. The cause of Khin Maung Latt's death was not known, but the body was found with a bloodstained cloth around the head.

Sithu Maung, a member of the dissolved parliament, said in a Facebook post that Khin Maung Latt was his campaign manager and was arrested on Saturday night in the Pabedan district of Yangon.

In the wake of this incident, protests were held in at least half a dozen cities in some of the most widespread action against the coup last month. And security forces cracked down on many of the protests across the country on Sunday.

Video posted by media group Myanmar Now showed soldiers beating up men in Yangon, where at least three protests were held despite overnight raids by security forces on campaign leaders and opposition activists. The United Nations says security forces have killed more than 50 people to stamp out daily demonstrations and strikes in the Southeast Asian nation since the military overthrew and detained Suu Kyi on February 1.

The state-run Global New Light Of Myanmar newspaper quoted a police statement as saying security forces were dealing with the protests in accordance with law. It said the forces were using tear gas and stun grenades to break up rioting and protests that were blocking public roads.

Over 1,700 people had been detained under the military junta by Saturday, according to figures from the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners advocacy group. It did not give a figure for overnight detentions. (Agencies)

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