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Myanmar: More than 500 dead in protests against military junta

2021-03-30T05:10:25.301Z


Despite international protests, the Myanmar military has been cracking down on demonstrators for weeks. There are deaths almost every day. Activists consider the number of victims to be significantly higher than previously known.


Enlarge image

Protesters in Mandalay, Myanmar on March 30th

Photo: STR / EPA

UN Secretary General António Guterres has called on the international community to "be more involved" with the junta in Myanmar.

"It is absolutely unacceptable to see violence against people on this scale, so many dead people," Guterres said.

The UN Security Council wants to deal with the latest violence against demonstrators on Wednesday.

According to activists, more than 500 people have already been killed in the violent crackdown on the protests against the military junta.

The local aid organization for political prisoners (AAPP) announced on Tuesday that it could confirm the deaths of 510 civilians - but the actual number of victims is likely to be significantly higher.

The meeting behind closed doors is taking place at the request of Great Britain, according to diplomatic circles in New York.

At the beginning, a report on the situation in the Southeast Asian country is expected from the UN special envoy Christine Schraner Burgener.

Since the military coup around eight weeks ago, the junta has been cracking down on the protests with tear gas, rubber bullets and live ammunition.

The demonstrators are demanding, among other things, the release of the disempowered de facto head of government Aung San Suu Kyi and a return to democracy.

At the weekend, the protests had reached a temporary climax with more than a hundred dead.

The United Nations called Saturday the "bloodiest day" since the February 1st military coup.

Several children and adolescents aged 5 to 15 were reportedly among the dead.

The military had thus followed through on the threat it had previously broadcast on state television that participants in demonstrations ran the risk of being shot in the head or back.

The federal government and US President Joe Biden heavily criticized the military's excessive violence against the nationwide protests on Monday.

Biden described the situation as "absolutely hideous."

as / dpa

Source: spiegel

All news articles on 2021-03-30

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