UN Special Envoy of Secretary-General for Myanmar criticizes bloodshed in the country
United Nations, Mar 15 (FN Agency) The Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Myanmar Christine Schraner Burgener has strongly condemned the killing of people in the country and urged the international community to stand in solidarity with the people of Myanmar and their democratic aspirations. She condemns the continuing bloodshed in the country as the military defies international calls, including from the Security Council, for restraint, dialogue and full respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, according to the statement issued on Sunday.
The Special Envoy has personally heard from contacts in Myanmar heartbreaking accounts of killings, mistreatment of demonstrators and torture of prisoners over the weekend. The ongoing brutality, including against medical personnel and destruction of public infrastructure, severely undermines any prospects for peace and stability. The international community, including regional actors, must come together in solidarity with the people of Myanmar and their democratic aspirations, it added. The Special Envoy remains in close contact with regional leaders and Security Council members and relies on their continued support towards her efforts to calm the situation, it concluded.
Late Sunday, Myanmar’s Junta imposed martial law in parts of the capital Yangon after clashes were reported between soldiers and protesters, resulting in the deaths of the demonstrators. At least 38 protesters were killed and 80 others wounded on Sunday as security forces cracked down on unceasing anti-coup demonstrations, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) said. The death toll in Myanmar’s protests has thus grown to 126 people since the start of unrest in early February, AAPP furher added. AAPP is an independent group tracking the deaths of the violence. On February 1, Myanmar’s military staged a coup against the State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint’s government, citing fraud in last year’s polls.