The Burmese military and police have been criticized for their bloody crackdown on anti-coup demonstrations, which has so far caused at least 275 deaths, and local online media have exposed some of their looting and unjustified vandalism, describing them as “hooligans in uniform. The U.S. and Britain on Thursday (25) sanctioned business organizations controlled by the Burmese military.
The Irrawaddy said the military and police, who in the official Burmese media “work hard day and night to maintain the rule of law and national security” and use minimal force against protesters, have not only used live ammunition against peaceful protesters, but have even taken advantage of the situation to loot. For example, last week in Tuandi township in southern Yangon, after dispersing the demonstrators, the military looted stores and homes in broad daylight, taking not only jewelry, tablets, cash and other valuables, but also ice-cream, salted fish and LPG tanks. Local residents estimate that the military looted 20 million kyats (about HK$110,000) in a single day. In addition, earlier social networking sites also circulated a video, showing two police officers to suppress the demonstration, from the unattended fruit stalls to take a large number of bananas, netizens criticized them like locusts.
The police have also been accused of destroying people’s belongings for no reason during the crackdown on demonstrations, with cars being vandalized in Yangon, Mandalay and other cities since last week after police operations. In Yangon’s Dawbon district alone, more than 20 cars were damaged for no apparent reason after a police operation on Monday, with broken windshields and windows pierced or bullet holes left in them, and hoods and doors beaten into shape.
The UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Burma, Thomas H. Andrews, criticized the looting and destruction of property by the Burmese military and police as a reflection of their superiors’ crime of stealing democracy and government. Bertil Lintner, a local journalist, said the Burmese military’s actions were “simple crimes and looting” aimed at punishing civilians who challenge the military’s authority.
The U.S. Treasury Department announced sanctions against Myanmar Economic Corporation and Myanmar Economic Holdings Limited on Thursday, while the U.K. also announced sanctions against Myanmar Economic Holdings Limited on the same day.
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