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Bachelet: Myanmar army to stop killing protesters

Stopping “killing and imprisoning protesters”, of whom at least 54 have been killed and 1,700 arrested since the February 1 military coup, was demanded by its army today. Myanmar UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet.

“It is absolutely disgusting for security forces to fire live ammunition at peaceful protesters across the country. “I also applaud the documented attacks on emergency medical personnel and ambulances trying to provide first aid to injured people,” the United Nations official said in a statement.

“The Myanmar army must stop killing and imprisoning protesters,” said the former Chilean president, who has also been imprisoned and tortured in her home country, while her father, Alberto Bachelet, died while in custody. detention and torture.

The High Commissioner noted that he confirmed the information, according to which at least 54 people have been killed by police and military since the February 1 coup in Myanmar. The actual death toll, however, could be much higher, the UN warns.

Of those 54 documented deaths, 30 were recorded in many cities on Wednesday alone. One death was recorded on Tuesday, 18 on Sunday and 5 in the previous days, according to the UN count.

At the same time, “according to reliable information, at least hundreds of people have been injured during the protests,” said the High Commissioner, who added that it was difficult to estimate their number.

More than 1,700 people have also been arbitrarily arrested and detained, at least 700 of them yesterday, for taking part in demonstrations or political activities, according to the UN.

Among them are mainly parliamentarians, political activists, writers, human rights defenders, teachers, health professionals, civil servants, journalists and monks.

For them, too, the UNHCR estimates that the actual number of detainees is probably much higher, given that the demonstrations took place in more than 500 places “where it was not always possible to monitor the situation”.

“A large number of arrests and arbitrary detentions made since February 1 may constitute enforced disappearances,” Bachelet said in a statement, calling for the immediate release of all those still being held arbitrarily.

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