Sunday's death toll reported by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners equaled the number killed March 3, which was then the bloodiest day since the Feb. 1 military coup.

The group said over 120 people have been killed as security forces seek to quell protests against military rule that continue daily across the country.

Over 20 people were killed in the Hlaingthaya district of Yangon as security forces fired on protesters, according to local media.

Martial law was declared in Hlaingthaya and neighboring Shwepyithar district in the first such act since the coup, marking a departure for the military that had until now stressed it was acting in accordance with the Constitution.

The declaration allows the military to exercise all administrative and judicial authority in the two districts without the involvement of the State Administration Council, the top decision-making body set up following the coup, possibly indicating harsher crackdowns on protesters in the days to come.

In an industrial park in Hlaingthaya, Chinese-linked factories were attacked Sunday, including by arson, leaving many people injured, according to the Chinese Embassy in Myanmar.

The factories may have been targeted because China has taken a position friendly toward Myanmar's military government in the UN Security Council over the toppling of the country's elected government.

The military said on state TV on Sunday night that a police officer died and three others were injured in Bago, a region northeast of Yangon.

Besides restoration of civilian rule, the protesters are calling for the release of elected leaders, including Aung San Suu Kyi.

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