UN Secretary-General's special envoy condemns bloodshed in Myanmar amid increasing violence

New York [US], March 15 : United Nations (UN) Secretary-General's Special Envoy, Christine Schraner Burgener on Sunday strongly condemned the bloodshed in Myanmar, amid increasing violence following the military's crackdown on peaceful protests and its continued refusal to follow international calls for restraint, dialogue and full respect for human rights after the coup.
According to a statement, the Special Envoy for Myanmar has personally heard from contacts in Myanmar heartbreaking accounts of killings, mistreatment of demonstrators and torture of prisoners over the weekend.
"The ongoing brutality, including against medical personnel and destruction of public infrastructure, severely undermines any prospects for peace and stability. The international community, including regional actors, must come together in solidarity with the people of Myanmar and their democratic aspirations," read the statement.
Burgener is also in close contact with regional leaders and Security Council members on their continued support towards her efforts to calm the situation in Myanmar.
Large numbers of protesters have taken to the streets of Myanmar since the military seized power in the February 1 coup, ousting the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, despite the increasingly deadly posture taken by security forces to quiet the wave of protests.
Since February, more than 70 people have so far been killed by Myanmar security forces, a UN expert on human rights in the Southeast Asian country said recently, adding arrests and detentions have risen beyond 2,000, with violence against protesters, including violence against people sitting peacefully in their homes, steadily increasing.