UN condemns violent crackdown in Myanmar after latest protests that have left at least 39 dead

The United Nations Special Envoy to Myanmar, Christine Schraner Burgener, condemned “strongly” this Sunday “the bloodshed continues” in the country “As the army defies international appeals” after the last day of protests in which nearly 40 people died.

“The continued brutality, including against medical personnel and the destruction of public infrastructure, seriously undermines any prospect of peace and stability,” the UN representative warned.

The envoy also explained, in a statement, that he has personally heard from his contacts in the Asian country “heartbreaking accounts of murders, mistreatment of protesters and torture of prisoners over the weekend”.

According to Schraner Burgener, the army and the military in power ignore calls for “moderation, dialogue and full respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms”, including that of the Security Council.

In this context, called on the international community, including regional actors, to unite< en solidarité avec le peuple birman et ses aspirations démocratiques >>, while “trusting” the efforts of regional leaders and members of the Security Council to “calm the situation”.

At least 39 people died on Sunday during the mobilizations against the military coup of February 1, by which the armed forces seized power in Burma, according to the results of the Association for Assistance to Political Prisoners of Burma (AAPP, for its acronym in English). Meanwhile, the military dictatorship announced the imposition of martial law in parts of Rangoon.

Other media believe the death toll could be much higher. Most of the previous day’s deaths were in Rangoon, where security forces fired live ammunition at protesters in at least nine neighborhoods in the city, the most populous in the country and its former capital.

The military junta which seized power in Burma on the first day of February last night announced on the public channel MRTV the imposition of martial law in the popular district of Hlaing Than Yar., where on Sunday, according to the Myanmar Labor News portal, several factories were burned down.

The Chinese Embassy in Burma pointed out on Facebook that some of the factories destroyed by the fires belong to Chinese businessmen and demanded that the authorities arrest their perpetrators and “guarantee the safety of Chinese companies and personnel” .

In other cities of the country, such as Bago, Mandalay and Hpakant, there were also deaths the day before because of the shots fired by the security forces.

The AAPP also reports that since the military uprising, more than 2,150 people have been arrested, including 319 who have already been released.

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