Myanmar coup | Outrage as 19-year-old activist's body exhumed at night by military

19-year-old activist Angel's body was dug up from her grave, just hours after being put to rest. (Image used for representation)

The exhumation of 19-year-old Myanmar pro-democracy activist Ma Kyal Sin, also known as Angel, by the military has sparked outrage across the country.

Angel was shot in the head by security forces in the city of Mandalay during a demonstration on March 3.

Just hours after Angel's family had put her to rest, security forces entered the cemetery in the night, dumped the carefully placed flowers and wreaths, and dug up her grave, reported CNN.

Footage shared with the media outlet along with witness accounts showed that around the desecrated grave were razor blades, rubber boots, surgical gowns, shovels, and a bloodied plastic glove. Her grave had been filled with cement.

This incident has left her friends, family and protestors in shock and anger against the military forces, who have been under the radar since the coup that ousted Myanmar's elected government from power. Multiple instances have been reported against the Junta for their brutal and unrelenting attacks against peaceful protestors, who have been fighting for Myanmar's democracy.

Also Read: Protesters rally across Myanmar, defying coup and risking crackdown

Angel had become a symbol of these protests. Her T-shirt with the slogan, 'Everything will be okay', was seen on many posters and artworks. Her voice had become a mark of this country's fight for democracy.

The attack on protesters in Mandalay was one of the bloodiest incidents since protests began. Security forces opened fire on crowds of people across the country, killing at least 38. Images and footage, captured by bystanders, local reporters and citizen journalists, showed bodies lying in the streets surrounded by pools of blood as protesters ran to take cover.

Angel had joined the protests in Mandalay and was part of a core group of activists on the front lines that shielded other protesters from police advances, snuffed out tear gas canisters with wet cloths or led crowds in chanting, according to her friend Min Htet Oo.

Footage available of that day shows Angel bravely protecting her fellow protestors before getting shot in the head. She can be seen shouting, "I'm afraid, but we will fight for our freedom" and "we won't run."

Also Read: EU prepares measures against Myanmar coup leaders

Unfortunately, doctors pronounced her dead on arrival. The primary cause of death was brain injury caused by a gunshot wound, said the doctor, reported CNN.

Her friends and family had not even begun to mourn her passing and Myanmar police dug up her body to perform what they claimed was an autopsy required to investigate the cause of her death, as reported by CNN.

The Myanmar Police Force said it needed to investigate Angel's death but her family had not consented to an autopsy. In a statement in state media, police said her body was exhumed "with the permission of a judge, district police chief officials, forensic pathologists and witnesses."

The military junta has sought to distance itself from her death, saying security forces used "minimum force" to disperse protesters that day.  The conclusion from the police's autopsy on March 4 was that the bullet lodged in her head had different dimensions than police bullets.

"The lead piece found in the head was a type of ammunition that can be fired with a shotgun with 0.38 round of ammunition," the police statement said, adding that it "is different from the riot control bullets used by the Myanmar Police Force," reported CNN.

The police have also claimed that they were in a face-to-face confrontation with the protestors, however, the bullet wound was found at the back of Angel's head.

But an activist video, filmed moments after Angel's shooting and on the same street where she was fatally wounded, shows a member of the military firing what appears to be a rifle at the protesters.

Angel's family has not spoken to the media since her death. When CNN reached out, a family member said they would not comment on her death or graveside autopsy for fear of repercussions.