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The killing by the Myanmar military of more than 100 pro-democracy protesters on the deadliest day since the February coup has sparked outrage around the world and demands a stronger global response.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken strongly condemned the junta, saying Washington was “appalled” by Saturday’s deaths and that the violence shows “that the junta will sacrifice the lives of the people to serve a few.” .
“I send my condolences to the families of the victims. The brave people of Burma reject the military’s reign of terror, ”he said.
The killings on Saturday, Myanmar Armed Forces Day, which commemorates the beginning of resistance to the Japanese occupation in 1945, would bring the number of civilians killed since the coup to more than 440.
UN Special Rapporteur Tom Andrews said it was time for the world to act, if not through the UN Security Council, but through an emergency international summit. He said the board should be cut off from funding, such as oil and gas revenues, and access to weapons.
“Words of condemnation or concern are frankly hollow to the people of Myanmar as the military junta commits mass killings against them,” he said in a statement.
“The people of Myanmar need the support of the world. Words are not enough. It is time for strong and coordinated action. “
The criticism came as top US military officials and their allies prepared to issue a statement condemning Myanmar’s security forces, saying that the country’s military has lost credibility with its people.
“As defense chiefs, we condemn the use of lethal force against unarmed persons by the Myanmar armed forces and associated security services,” the draft statement reads.
It was signed by 12 defense chiefs from Australia, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
The EU delegation in Myanmar described Saturday as a “day of terror and disgrace”. Dominic Raab, the UK’s foreign secretary, said the country had set a “new low”. “We will work with our international partners to end this senseless violence, hold those responsible to account and ensure a path back to democracy,” he said.
US Ambassador Thomas Vajda strongly condemned Saturday’s violence. “On Myanmar Armed Forces Day, the security forces are killing unarmed civilians, including children, the very people they are sworn to protect,” he said. “This bloodshed is shocking. These are not the actions of a professional military or police force. “
The joint statement by military chiefs, obtained by Reuters ahead of its scheduled release this weekend, is a rare statement from top military commanders from countries around the world, including Asia and Europe.
Press reports and witnesses said that the Myanmar security forces killed 114 people, including some children, on Armed Forces Day, the bloodiest day of their crackdown on pro-democracy protesters since the coup. military last month.
The Myanmar military has so far ignored criticism for its violent crackdown on dissent.
Myanmar’s military has said it seized power because the November elections won by Aung San Suu Kyi’s party were fraudulent, a claim dismissed by the country’s electoral commission and international observers. Aung San Suu Kyi is being held at an undisclosed location and many other figures from her National League for Democracy party are also in custody.
While the draft declaration by the foreign military chiefs did not explicitly condemn the February 1 coup, which overthrew the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, it said that a professional army must follow international standards of conduct “and is responsible to protect, not harm, the people it serves “.
He said the country’s military must “stop the violence and work to restore respect and credibility with the people of Myanmar who have lost through their actions.”
The London-based Burma Human Rights Network reacted to Saturday’s violence by calling on the international community to toughen economic sanctions on Myanmar’s commercial interests and impose a global arms embargo and no-fly zone in the zones of ethnic conflict in the country.
“Every day the horror committed by the Burmese military worsens as they become more desperate to hold on to the power they stole from the people,” said the network’s executive director, Kyaw Win. “The international community must respond immediately to end this nightmare for the Burmese people.”
New US and European sanctions this week increased external pressure on the junta, but Myanmar’s generals have enjoyed some support from Russia and China, both members of the UN security council with veto power that could block any potential action. from the ONU.
Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin attended a parade in Myanmar’s capital Naypyitaw on Saturday, meeting with senior junta leaders a day earlier.
Diplomats said eight countries – Russia, China, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand – sent representatives to the Armed Forces Day parade, but Russia was the only one to send a minister.
Amnesty International called for a stronger international response, including a UN arms embargo and sanctions on top generals, although the veto power of Russia and China in the Security Council makes such measures unlikely to pass.
“This is just the latest example of the determination of the military authorities to kill off the national resistance to the coup,” said Ming Yu Hah, Amnesty International’s deputy regional campaign manager.
“These heinous murders demonstrate once again the generals’ blatant disregard for the inadequate pressure exerted so far by the international community. The cost of international inaction is counted in the bodies. “
Additional information from Reuters and Emma Graham-Harrison
