Geneva:
The UN rights chief stated Friday that violence was escalating across Myanmar, warning that the nation had plunged into a “human rights catastrophe” given that the February 1 coup.
Pointing to reported military make-up in a number of regions of the nation, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet referred to as for a halt to the currently spiralling violence to avert even higher loss of life and a deepening humanitarian emergency.
“In just over four months, Myanmar has gone from being a fragile democracy to a human rights catastrophe,” she stated in a statement, adding that the military leadership was “singularly responsible” for the crisis.
The nation has been in turmoil given that the generals ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi on February 1st.
The UN rights workplace pointed Friday to credible reports displaying that at least 860 civilians had been killed in a brutal crackdown by safety forces on close to-day-to-day protests against the coup.
Fighting has flared in a number of communities — specifically in townships that have seen a higher death count at the hands of police — and some locals have formed “defence forces”.
Bachelet pointed to intensifying violence in quite a few components of Myanmar, which includes Kayah State, Chin State and Kachin State, “with the violence particularly intense in areas with significant ethnic and religious minority groups”.
– Human Shields –
“State security forces have continued to use heavy weaponry, including air strikes, against armed groups and against civilians and civilian objects, including Christian churches,” she stated.
“There appear to be no efforts towards de-escalation but rather a build-up of troops in key areas,” she lamented.
The UN rights chief pointed to “credible reports” that safety forces have applied civilians as human shields, shelled civilian residences and churches, and blocked humanitarian access, which includes by attacking help workers.
“More than 108,000 people have fled their homes in Kayah State over the last three weeks alone,” she stated, pointing out that quite a few had fled into the forest regions “with little or no food, water, sanitation or medical care”.
“These are people in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.”
Bachelet stressed that the military behind the coup, also identified as Tatmadaw, “have a duty to protect civilians”.
The international neighborhood, she added, necessary to urgently “unify in its demand that the Tatmadaw cease the outrageous use of heavy artillery against civilians and civilian objects and respect the principle of distinction.”
She also referred to as for the people’s defence forces and other armed groups to “take all feasible measures to protect civilians”.
Bachelet slammed the sweeping arrests in the nation of activists, journalists and opponents of the regime, citing credible sources saying at least 4,804 individuals stay in arbitrary detention.
She voiced alarm at reports of detainees getting tortured, and of collective punishment meted out to family members of activists.
“Rather than seeking dialogue, the military is branding its opponents as ‘terrorists’ and pursuing politically-motivated charges against the democratic leadership,” she stated.
“The military leadership is singularly responsible for this crisis, and must be held to account.”
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