Protesters freed after being ‘trapped’ overnight by forces in Myanmar

Hundreds of protesters, who had been trapped overnight by security forces, have been freed in Myanmar.

According to the international news agency, around 200 people had been blocked from leaving the area in a district of Yangon in the Sanchaung area of the city on Monday.

United Nations chief Antonio Guterres said that many of those trapped had been women who were marching in support of International Women’s Day.

Myanmar police were raiding houses on Monday in the area as they were searching for people who were from outside the district.

At least 20 people had been arrested in the raids, residents and local news service wrote on Facebook.

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International reports say that security forces had surrounded a group of young people in the Sanchaung neighborhood.

A protester told the international news agency that he was able to leave at around 06:30 local time (00:00 GMT). He said security forces had left the area early in the morning.

He added that 40 people were arrested overnight, but the rest of them remained hidden until the morning and were able to leave.

Activist Maung Saungkha said on Twitter late on Monday that she managed to “escape” Sanchaung, but added that “almost 200 young protesters are blocked by police and soldiers there”.