Myanmar police open fire on mourners at a student's funeral over the weekend

• Myanmar security forces on Saturday opened fire on mourners at the funeral of a 20-year-old student.
• Security forces shot at funeral-goers at the wake of Thae Maung Maung, who was killed during the protests.
• The junta's violent crackdown on protests saw its bloodiest day yet on Saturday, with 114 deaths.

Myanmar police on Saturday opened fire on mourners at the wake of a 20-year-old student protester, arresting and wounding several funeral-goers.

Grieving friends and family were gathered at a funeral for student Thae Maung Maung in the city of Bago, near the country's commercial capital of Yangon, when troops began shooting to disperse the group.

"While we are singing the revolution song for him, security forces just arrived and shot at us," a mourner named Aye told Reuters. "People ran away as they opened fire."

The violence in Myanmar reached a new crescendo as the country's security forces doubled down in their efforts to suppress those protesting against last month's military coup.

The February 1 military coup began when the junta detained political leaders, including Aung San Suu Kyi and newly elected President Win Myint. The military alleged that widespread fraud had taken place during the country's elections in November, which were won by Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party.

The AP reported that funerals have become the latest flashpoints in the Myanmar protests, with violence erupting when police and mourners clash.

At a funeral for 36-year-old Shwe Myint, who was shot dead by police on Saturday in Bhamo, in the northern state of Kachin, crowds of people poured into the streets. Mourners chanted democracy slogans and raised the three-finger salute, which has become synonymous with defiance and rebellion against the junta.

It is estimated that around 114 people lost their lives on Saturday alone, in one of the bloodiest days of the protests yet. Thus far, more than 440 civilians have reportedly been killed since the coup began.

The AP wrote that on Saturday, mourners flashed the same three-finger salute as they wheeled out the coffin of 13-year-old Sai Wan Yan, who was killed by security forces while he played outside his family's home.

Henrietta Fore, head of the UN children's agency UNICEF, told the Associated Press that the casualties of Saturday's crackdown included two 11-year-olds, three 13-year-olds, three 16-year-olds, and two 17-year-olds. Fore added that a one-year-old baby girl had also been gravely injured after being struck in the eye with a rubber bullet.

"In less than two months, at least 35 children have allegedly been killed, countless others seriously injured and almost 1,000 children and young people reported arbitrarily detained by security forces across the country," Fore said, demanding that those responsible be "held accountable" for the "indiscriminate killings."

Myanmar's Armed Forces Day becomes the bloodiest day of protests

The escalating violence over the weekend coincided with the Myanmar military's celebration of Armed Forces Day with a parade in the capital city of Naypyitaw. At the parade, senior general and junta leader Min Aung Hlaing declared that the military would protect the people and "strive for democracy."

"The military celebrated Armed Forces Day by committing mass murder against the people it should be defending," tweeted Tom Andrews, the UN's special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar. Andrews said as well that the junta's sources of funding - including oil and gas revenues, and access to weapons - should be cut off, adding that words of condemnation or concern are "ringing hollow."

The junta's crackdown on protesters on Saturday prompted UN Secretary-General António Guterres to call for collective international action to be taken.

"I am deeply shocked by the killing of dozens of civilians, including children and young people, by security forces in Myanmar today. The continuing military crackdown is unacceptable and demands a firm, unified and resolute international response," said Guterres in a tweet.

The protests are unlikely to abate, as one of Myanmar's key protest groups, the General Strike Committee of Nationalities, posted on Facebook that the fight would go on in opposition to what they call a "terrorist dictatorship."

"We salute our heroes who sacrificed lives. We must win this revolution!" the group wrote.