(GNB- Washington DC): Security forces for Myanmar’s military regime are using battlefield weapons on unarmed protestors and carrying out premeditated killings orchestrated by their commanding officers, Amnesty International said Wednesday.
According to a new research by Amnesty International, The Myanmar military is using increasingly lethal tactics and weapons normally seen on the battlefield against peaceful protesters and bystanders across the country.
By verifying more than 50 videos from the ongoing crackdown, Amnesty International’s Crisis Evidence Lab can confirm that security forces appear to be implementing planned, systematic strategies including the ramped-up use of lethal force. Many of the killings documented amount to extrajudicial executions, Amnesty said.
Amnesty’s Crisis Evidence Lab verified the more than 50 videos of the ongoing crackdown and confirmed that security forces “appear to be implementing planned, systematic strategies including the ramped-up use of lethal force.”
“Many of the killings documented amount to extrajudicial executions,” the rights group said.
“These Myanmar military tactics are far from new, but their killing sprees have never before been livestreamed for the world to see,” said Joanne Mariner, Director of Crisis Response at Amnesty International.
“These are not the actions of overwhelmed, individual officers making poor decisions. These are unrepentant commanders already implicated in crimes against humanity, deploying their troops and murderous methods in the open.
“For years, ethnic minorities – including the Chin, Kachin, Karen, Rakhine, Rohingya, Shan, Ta’ang and more – have borne the brunt of horrific violence meted out by the Tatmadaw. Along with other rights groups, we have called on the UN Security Council to refer the situation in Myanmar to the International Criminal Court, and bring the Tatmadaw’s senior commanders, including Min Aung Hlaing, to justice. Instead, the Security Council has done nothing, and today we see the same military units turn their fire on protesters, Amnesty said.
“The military authorities must immediately cease their deadly onslaught, de-escalate the situation nationwide, and release all those arbitrarily detained”, Amnesty added.
Amnesty presented analysis of 55 videos recorded from Feb 28 to March 8 in cities across Myanmar, including Dawei, Mandalay, Mawlamyine, Monywa, Myeik, Myitkyina and Yangon.
According to the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, the death toll from the protests as of 4 March stands at 61. This official estimate excludes additional known casualties in recent days.
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