Suu Kyi decries Myanmar's crackdown on mine protesters, seeks explanation for use of force
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Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has publicly criticized the forcible crackdown on protesters at a mine in northwestern Myanmar, saying the public needs an explanation of the violence that injured dozens, including Buddhist monks.
More than 10,000 people heard Suu Kyi speak Friday morning in a nearby village about the Letpadaung copper mine.
Protesters say it is causing environmental and social problems and occupied the project for 11 days before the crackdown.
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Police used water cannons, tear gas and smoke bombs early Thursday to disperse the protest. Their weapons caused severe burns to protesters and set their makeshift shelters ablaze.
A nurse at a Monywa hospital said 27 monks and one other person were admitted there to be treated for burns.