More than 1,700 people have been arbitrarily detained and that arrests were escalating, says Michelle Bachelet
At least 54 people have been killed and over 1,700 detained since Myanmar’s February 1 coup, the United Nations rights chief said on Thursday.
Also read: Myanmar protesters, undaunted by killings, march again
The comments come after the deadliest day of protests in Myanmar, with at least 38 dead on Wednesday in rallies where security forces were seen firing at crowds.
U.N. rights chief Michelle Bachelet urged security forces to “halt their vicious crackdown on peaceful protesters”.
“Myanmar’s military must stop murdering and jailing protesters,” she said in a statement. “It is utterly abhorrent that security forces are firing live ammunition against peaceful protesters across the country,” she added. Ms. Bachelet said she was “appalled at the documented attacks against emergency medical staff and ambulances attempting to provide care to those who have been injured”.
Also read: Setback in Myanmar: on military coup
The U.N. rights office said it had corroborated information that at least 54 people had been killed since February 1. “The actual death toll, however, could be much higher as these are the figures the office has been able to verify,” it said.
