UN sees clear evidence of war crimes in Myanmar
Photo: Sharafmaksumov, Adobe Stock
Geneva (dpa). According to the United Nations, there have been clear indications of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Myanmar since the military coup a year ago. In a new report, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights documents “systematic and widespread findings on human rights,” as a spokeswoman announced on March 15 in Geneva. High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet urged the international community to stop the “spiral of violence” in the Southeast Asian country.
The military is deliberately targeting civilians in former Burma, the report said. Residential areas would be bombed. People would be shot, burned, arbitrarily arrested and tortured. At least 1,600 people were killed by security forces and allied groups, according to the UN report. More than 12,500 were arrested. According to the UN, at least 543 people were killed in Myanmar because they allegedly supported the military.
The High Commission put the number of displaced persons at 440,000. 14 million people are dependent on humanitarian aid. The UN office also reported torture. According to reports, detainees were hung from the ceiling without food or water, forced to stand for hours in solitary confinement, or tortured with electric shocks. Drugs were also provided. Muslim prisoners were forced to eat pork, which their religion actually forbids.
The High Commissioner also reported that 40 people were killed in raids by soldiers in the Sagaing region in July last year. Some of the bodies were tied hand and foot. In the Kayah region, soldiers burned 40 men, women and children, some alive. The military completely seized power in Myanmar in February last year. Prime Minister-elect Aung San Suu Kyi, who was once awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, is in prison.