Myanmar Security Killed More Than 800, Protesters Say
Published:
The military has responded to demonstrations of the pro-democracy protesters in cities and towns with lethal force and arrests.
More than 800 people have been killed by Myanmar’s security forces since a wave of protests broke out across the country after the military seized power in a coup in February, an activist group said.
Myanmar has been in turmoil since the army ousted Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government and detained her and officials of her National League for Democracy party.
The military has responded to protests by pro-democracy supporters in cities and towns with lethal force, while there has been an upsurge in fighting between the army and ethnic rebels in border areas and newly formed militia forces.
As of Monday, 802 people had been killed in the junta’s crackdown on its opponents, according to the activist group the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners.
It is the number verified by AAPP, the actual number of fatalities is likely much higher, the group said in its daily briefing.
It detailed six additional fatalities including in towns in Chin state and in districts of the main cities of Mandalay and Yangon.
US imposes sanctions on the junta
The United States on Monday imposed fresh sanctions on Myanmar’s junta, targeting the governing State Administrative Council and 13 officials in the latest in a series of punitive actions following a military coup.
Among those blacklisted in Monday’s move were four members of the SAC, as well as nine other officials the Treasury said were key members of Myanmar’s military government, including the governor of the country’s central bank, the minister for international cooperation and the chairman of the military-appointed electoral body, the Union Election Commission.
The Treasury also imposed sanctions on three adult children of U.S.-blacklisted Myanmar military officials, according to the statement.
Burma’s military continues to commit human rights abuses and oppress the people of Burma. Today’s action demonstrates the United States’ commitment to work with our international partners to press the Burmese military and promote accountability for those responsible for the coup and ongoing violence, Ms. Andrea Gacki, director of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, said in the statement.