At least 70 people have been “killed” by the Burmese military government since the Feb. 1 coup, committing killings, torture and persecution that could amount to Crimes Against Humanity, U.N. human rights investigator for Burma Thomas Andrews said today.
The U.N. human rights investigator for Burma said today that the Burmese military government has “killed” at least 70 people since the Feb. 1 coup d’état. The photo shows Burmese military police firing tear gas at anti-coup demonstrators in Yangon on Feb. 8.
Speaking to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva by video message from Washington, D.C., Andrews said more than half of those killed were under the age of 25.
He said more than 2,000 people have been illegally detained since the military seized power, and violence against protesters has been increasing.
Andrews, a former U.S. congressman, said, “There is overwhelming film evidence of security forces viciously beating protesters, medical personnel and bystanders. There are shocking videos documenting the consequences of the attacks, including fatal gunshot wounds to the head of protesters, and there are videos of soldiers dragging away or removing the remains of victims.”
Andrews also noted that the fundamental rights to freedom of speech and assembly are being denied in Burma, and he called for multilateral sanctions against junta leaders and the military-owned Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE). The company’s natural gas project revenues are expected to reach $1 billion this year.
Andrews said, “The only way sanctions can be truly effective is if they are unified and coordinated.”
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