In Washington, it was unclear whether Myanmar’s embassy was still representing the junta, after it issued a statement decrying the deaths of civilian protesters and called on authorities to “fully exercise utmost restraint”.

One diplomat in the embassy also resigned and at least three others said in posts on social media they were joining the civil disobedience movement of strikes against the military government.

Indian security forces stepped up patrols on the border with Myanmar on Friday to stop refugees entering after some police officers crossed over to escape taking orders from the military junta, officials said.

“As of now, we are not letting anybody enter,” said Maria Zuali, senior government official in Mizoram state’s Champhai district.

The move follows the defection over the border of some 19 low-ranking Myanmar police officers who were unwilling to obey orders to suppress demonstrations against the junta.

Myanmar coup: 19 policemen seek shelter in India to avoid violent crackdown

In Serchhip district, senior official Kumar Abhishek said eight people, including a woman and a child, had crossed the border and were being taken care of. “We are anticipating that some more may come,” he said.

The UN human rights investigator on Myanmar, Thomas Andrews, urged the Security Council – which meets to discuss the situation on Friday – to impose a global arms embargo and targeted economic sanctions on the junta.

DEMONSTRATIONS, VIOLENCE CONTINUE

Security authorities opened fire in the city of Mandalay on Friday, killing a young man after shooting him in the neck, as demonstrations continued in the country to oppose the ouster of the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.

In the main city of Yangon, police fired rubber bullets and stun grenades to disperse protesters who had been joined by about 100 doctors in white coats, witnesses said.

A crowd also gathered in the town of Pathein, to the west of Yangon, a witness said. Widespread electricity supply cuts were also reported across the country, with a provider attributing this to a system breakdown. The outage came amid ongoing efforts by the junta to tighten its chokehold on communications, including a nightly internet shutdown.

Red Cross volunteers have been injured while helping people hurt in violence in Myanmar, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said on Friday.

“There have been very serious incidents where Red Cross volunteers were injured and wrongfully arrested. Red Cross ambulances have also been damaged,” said Alexander Matheou, the IFRC’s Asia Pacific regional director, said in a statement.

Matheou said the injured Myanmar Red Cross volunteers had been providing life-saving treatment to wounded people in line with fundamental principles of humanity, neutrality and impartiality.

“Red Cross volunteers should never be targeted,” he said. “The IFRC urges restraint and a halt to violence across Myanmar.”

Video footage emerged this week of police severely beating three members of a Myanmar volunteer ambulance service. Reuters was no able to verify the footage.

Myanmar protests: will Singapore’s ‘truth telling’ make a difference as death toll rises?

Singapore, which has been the most outspoken of Myanmar’s neighbours, reiterated that it was appalled by the violence against civilians.

The United Nations said on Thursday that at least 54 people have been killed since the coup. More than 1,700 people had been arrested, including 29 journalists.

“It is the height of national shame for the armed forces of any country to turn its arms against its own people,” said Vivian Balakrishnan, who called on Myanmar’s military to seek a peaceful solution but acknowledged external pressure would have only a limited impact on the situation.

Military men helped Indonesia’s democracy. Why not in Myanmar?

Besides the US, Canada, the European Union and Britain have all issued fresh sanctions following the coup and the army’s subsequent deadly crackdown on demonstrators.

Washington’s additional measures unveiled on Thursday included adding Myanmar’s ministries of defence and home affairs and its top military conglomerates that control swathes of the economy, with interests ranging from beer to real estate, to a trade blacklist.

But the measures are expected to have limited impact as the entities are not major importers.

“A bigger impact would be to go after the financial assets of the military leaders of the coup,” said William Reinsch, a former Commerce Department official.

Washington has also subjected Myanmar to “military end use” export control restrictions, requiring its American suppliers to seek difficult-to-obtain US licences to ship it certain items.

FROZEN ASSETS Sources told Reuters that Myanmar’s military rulers attempted to move about $1 billion held at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York days after seizing power. The junta then installed a new central bank governor and detained key economic officials, including Bo Bo Nge, the reformist deputy governor and Suu Kyi ally, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners.

As of Thursday, he remains under detention, according to the association.

01:07

US wants more ‘intense’ talks on Myanmar

US wants more ‘intense’ talks on Myanmar

Myanmar’s reserves, which have been frozen indefinitely, would be managed by part of the New York Fed known as Central Bank and International Account Services (CBIAS), where many central banks keep US dollar reserves for purposes such as settling transactions.

Meanwhile, Alphabet Inc’s YouTube removed five channels of Myanmar’s military-run television networks hosted on its platform.

Myanmar military must ‘stop murdering protesters’, UN urges

Last month, Facebook banned the military from using its Facebook and Instagram platforms.

Myanmar’s generals have long shrugged off outside pressure.

The United States has told China, which has declined to condemn the coup, that it expects it to play a constructive role. China has said stability in Myanmar is a top priority.