It has been six months since the military coup in Myanmar. Anti-junta protests are going on in the country. On the eve of the completion of six months, students of the country's universities have taken to the streets to protest against the junta. Human rights watchdog Human Rights Watch (HRW) has accused the junta of committing crimes against humanity by killing and torturing its own people in the name of suppressing protests in recent days.University students marched on the streets of Mandalay, Myanmar's second-largest city, on Saturday. At this time they chanted anti-janta slogans with red and green flags. At the time, the students took a stand against any talks with the junta to hand over power to the civilian government.
They demanded that the junta government should agree to transfer power unconditionally.Meanwhile, the New York-based Human Rights Watch said in a statement on Saturday that the junta had carried out armed repression against people taking part in protests against Myanmar's military rule. The detained opposition has been tortured. Many have been killed, in clear violation of international humanitarian treaties.
Brad Adams, the group's Asia director, said Myanmar's junta had committed crimes against humanity through repression, torture and killings of its own people.However, Janta spokesman Jao Min Tun was contacted for comment on the rights group's allegations, but did not respond.
On February 1, there was a bloodless military coup in Myanmar. The country's most influential politicians, including pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, were detained. Multiple cases were filed in their name. The results of the general election last November were canceled. In that election, Suu Kyi's party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), won a landslide victory. The junta staged a coup by rejecting the results of the vote.Immediately after the coup, ordinary people of Myanmar took to the streets to protest.
They demanded two things: lifting of the military regime and release of political prisoners including Suu Kyi. The rights group, the Assistance Association of Political Prisoners (APP), says 939 people have been killed so far in the country's crackdown on the junta. About 7,000 people including artists, teachers, students, politicians, journalists and doctors have been detained.Myanmar's ousted politicians are fighting to restore democracy by forming a shadow government.
All in all, the country is at risk of civil war. In such a situation, the Western powers including the United States have imposed new sanctions against the junta. However, ASEAN, a regional alliance of Southeast Asian nations, has taken steps to restore peace in Myanmar. The members of the alliance have initiated peaceful talks between the conflicting parties on the basis of five points.
0 Comments