The army’s response to protests in Myanmar is growing more brutal

GONE IS THE carnival atmosphere that pervaded Yangon, Myanmar’s biggest city, during the first weeks of protests against a military coup on February 1st. The protesters have exchanged tongue-in-cheek placards for home-made shields and tiaras for hard hats, the better to fend off the increasingly violent security forces. For most of the past month the army—notorious for violently crushing past democracy movements—had responded with water cannons, rubber bullets and tear gas, but nothing worse. But as the demonstrations have worn on, the junta has grown more vicious. Soldiers have begun firing live ammunition into crowds. On March 3rd, the bloodiest day so far, at least 38 people were killed, according to a UN official. 

The army, or Tatmadaw as it is known, clearly hopes the shootings will persuade the protesters to go home. Some have: the streets are no longer thronged with hundreds of thousands of them, as they were in late February, but they are far from empty. Young protesters are just as likely to be demonstrating as older, hardened activists. A giggly 17-year-old university student who was consumed by her passion for K-pop until the coup says she became a “little bit afraid” after her friend was tear-gassed. Despite the danger, she insists, “I have to protest.” She is still doing so most days. 

Opponents...