UN: 100 days after coup no letup in Myanmar military’s brutality
Tuesday, May 11, marked 100 days since Myanmar’s military seized power in a coup on February 1, deposing the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. Nationwide protests continue.
By Robin Gomes
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has lamented that since the February 1 coup, there have been no signs of a letup in the brutal crackdown by Myanmar’s military authorities on its opponents in a bid to consolidate their hold on power.
Rupert Colville, the spokesperson of the UN’s human rights office briefed journalists on Tuesday on the situation in Myanmar, saying according to credible sources at least 782 people have been killed as of 10 May. Since the military coup on February 1, security forces have been continuing to use “unnecessary, disproportionate and lethal force, to suppress demonstrations and other forms of public participation”. “At the same time, there is no weakening of the resolve of the civil disobedience movement and other facets of opposition to the coup leaders.”