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The killing of at least 114 unarmed civilians, including a five-year-old boy and a 13-year-old girl, by Myanmar security forces on the deadliest day since the February 1 military coup has drawn strong condemnation from across the globe. country. world.
The shootings occurred as people took to the streets again on Saturday to protest against the military takeover, defying the warning that they could be shot “in the head and in the back” as the board celebrated Armed Forces Day.
The protesters had referred to the holiday by its original name, Resistance Day, to mark the beginning of a revolt against the Japanese occupation in World War II.
Dozens of people are said to have died in Mandalay, the country’s second-largest city.
This year’s event was seen as a flash point, with protesters threatening to bolster their public opposition to the coup with more and more demonstrations.
In response to the latest killings, 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.
“Words of condemnation or concern are frankly hollow to the people of Myanmar as the military junta commits mass killings against them,” Andrews 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 violence has sparked an international outcry. Photo: AP
US Ambassador to Myanmar Thomas Vajda wrote on social media: “On Myanmar Armed Forces Day, security forces are killing unarmed civilians, including children, the very people they are sworn to protect.
“This bloodshed is shocking. These are not the actions of a professional military or police force.”
The EU delegation in Myanmar said the killings “would forever be etched as a day of terror and disgrace”, while British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said the violence marked “a new low”.
Dr. Sasa, special envoy of the dissolved democratic parliament to the UN, said: “Today is a shameful day for the armed forces. The military must stop killing its own people.”
Calling on the international community to “act quickly before it is too late” and apply coordinated and targeted sanctions, he told Sky News that the military must release the democratically elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi and come to the negotiating table.
Without action, he said, Myanmar would witness the “greatest civil war we have never seen before.”
In a draft statement, senior military officials from 12 countries have also condemned the lethal use of force by Myanmar’s armed forces and say that the country’s armed forces have lost credibility with its people.
The shootings occurred when a rebel leader told Sky News that Myanmar Armed ethnic groups will not stand by and do nothing if the military continues to kill protesters.
Massacre of civilians makes it harder for the military to engage, critics say
After leading a military parade in the capital, Naypyitaw, the leader of the junta, General Min Aung Hlaing, repeated that his regime would hold “free and fair elections” and then hand over power, but did not give a timetable.
In a live broadcast on state television, he said: “The military seeks to unite with the entire nation in safeguarding democracy.
“Violent acts that affect stability and security to make demands are inappropriate.”
Since the protests began following the overthrow of Aung San Suu Kyi, some 440 people are said to have died.
The number of people killed in the riots since the overthrow of Aung San Suu Kyi The elected government now stands at around 440.
However, the monitors cautioned that this only includes verified cases, with the actual number of victims “probably much higher.”
The Myanmar Now news portal said at least 114 people were killed across the country in Saturday’s crackdown.
About 90 people died in Yangon and dozens more died, including a five-year-old boy and a 13-year-old girl, in Mandalay, Myanmar Now added.
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