Myanmar security forces kill 7 protesters, Chinese-owned factory set ablaze

Myanmar troops fired at anti-coup protesters on Wednesday, killing at least seven people and wounding several, media said, as a Chinese-owned factory was set on fire in the commercial capital Yangon and activists burned the Chinese flag.

The country's military ruler said the civil disobedience movement was "destroying" Myanmar. More than 580 people have been killed, according to an activist group, in the turmoil in Myanmar since a Feb. 1 coup that ended a brief period of civilian-led democracy. Nationwide protests and strikes have persisted since then despite the military's use of lethal force to quell the opposition.