Myanmar: UN experts call for ‘course correction’ as civilian deaths reach 6,000
GENEVA (2 December 2024) – UN human rights experts* today called on the military junta in Myanmar to change course and end its brutal crackdown on dissent, as the number of civilians killed since the coup in February 2021 reached 6,000.
“The military’s relentless violence against its own people has reached a new low,” the experts said. “The killing of civilians, arbitrary arrests and detentions, torture and ill-treatment, and the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war must stop immediately.”
The experts said that the junta’s actions amount to crimes against humanity and war crimes, and that those responsible must be held accountable. They also called on the international community to do more to support the people of Myanmar and to pressure the junta to end its violence.
“The international community must not stand idly by while the people of Myanmar continue to suffer,” the experts said. “We urge all States to take concrete action to support the people of Myanmar and to hold the junta accountable for its crimes.”
The experts’ call for a course correction comes as the junta continues to escalate its violence against civilians. In recent weeks, the military has carried out airstrikes on villages in ethnic areas, killing and injuring dozens of civilians. The military has also been accused of using torture and ill-treatment against detainees, including children.
The experts said that the junta’s actions are driven by a desire to maintain power at all costs. They said that the junta is not interested in dialogue or compromise, and that it is determined to crush all opposition to its rule.
“The junta’s actions are a betrayal of the people of Myanmar,” the experts said. “The people of Myanmar deserve to live in peace and freedom, and they deserve to have their voices heard.”
*The UN human rights experts who issued the statement are: Thomas Andrews, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar; Yanghee Lee, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in North Korea; and Irene Khan, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression.
Myanmar: UN experts call for ‘course correction’ as civilian deaths reach 6,000
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