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GENEVA: At least 54 people have died and more than 1,700 have been arrested since the February 1 coup in Myanmar, the UN human rights chief said on Thursday (March 4), demanding that the military “stop to murder “protesters.
The comments come after the deadliest day of protests in Myanmar, with at least 38 people killed on Wednesday in demonstrations that saw security forces firing into crowds.
The UN human rights chief, Michelle Bachelet, urged the security forces to “stop their brutal repression against peaceful protesters.”
“The Myanmar military must stop killing and jailing protesters,” it said in a statement.
“It is absolutely abhorrent that the security forces are firing live ammunition at peaceful protesters across the country,” he added.
Bachelet added that “she was also shocked by the documented attacks on emergency medical personnel and ambulances attempting to provide care for the injured.”
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Dozens of people were killed on the deadliest day of the Myanmar army’s crackdown on anti-coup protesters. (Photo: AFP)
The UN human rights office said it had corroborated information that at least 54 people had been killed by police and the military since February 1.
“The actual death toll, however, could be much higher, since these are the figures that the office has been able to verify,” he emphasized.
The killings have escalated dramatically in recent days.
The rights office had verified 30 of the 38 deaths reported by other UN entities on Wednesday, saying that killings at the hands of security forces had taken place in Yangon, Mandalay, Sagaing, Magway and Mon.
One other person’s death was documented on Tuesday and 18 people on Sunday, with five before that.
He said it was difficult to document the injuries, but that “at least hundreds have been injured during the protests.”
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Anti-coup protesters run as one unloads a fire extinguisher to counter the impact of tear gas fired by riot police in Yangon, Myanmar, on March 3, 2021 (Photo: AP).
Since the coup, more than 1,700 people have also been “arbitrarily arrested and detained in connection with their participation in protests or participation in political activities,” the statement read.
At least 700 people were detained on Wednesday alone, and many of them were reportedly detained while soldiers and police conducted door-to-door searches.
MILITARY FIN “STRANGLEHOLD”
Those arrested include parliamentarians, political and rights activists, election officials, teachers, health workers, journalists and monks, he said.
“Many of the arbitrary arrests and detentions that have been carried out since February 1 may constitute forced disappearances,” warned Bachelet, who called for the immediate release of all those who remain arbitrarily detained.
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Tear gas and extinguishing gas float around protesters during a protest against the military coup in Yangon, Myanmar, on March 2, 2021. Photo taken from behind a window. (Photo: Reuters)
He also expressed alarm at the attacks on media workers, with at least 29 journalists arrested in recent days, eight of whom had been charged with crimes, including inciting opposition or hatred of the government, and attending illegal meetings.
“I urge all those with information and influence … to support international efforts to hold military leaders accountable for the serious human rights violations that have occurred both now and in the past,” Bachelet said.
“This is the time to turn the tables on justice and end the military rule over democracy in Myanmar.”
