The UN chief condemned in the strongest terms, the killing of dozens of civilians, including children and young people, by security forces in Myanmar on Saturday. In a statement issued by Deputy Spokesman Farhan Haq, Secretary-General António Guterres said, "the continuing military crackdown...is unacceptable and demands a firm, unified and resolute international response." As Myanmar's military celebrated Armed Forces Day with a parade in the country's capital, Naypyitaw, soldiers and police suppressed protesters during what has resulted in the highest daily death toll since demonstrations began last month. "The military celebrated Armed Forces Day by committing mass murder against the people it should be defending," tweeted Tom Andrews, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar. He added that the Civil Disobedience Movement is responding with "powerful weapons of peace" and called for the world "to respond in kind with and for the people of Myanmar". Global leaders joined the UN chief in condemning the bloodbath in Myanmar with the European Union, UK and US on Saturday condemned the repression by Myanmar's junta as "indefensible". The online news site Myanmar Now reported late on Saturday that the death toll had reached 114, the bloodiest day so far since the start of the military coup. A count issued by an independent researcher in Yangon who has been compiling near-real time death tolls put the total at 107, spread over more than two dozen cities and towns. The total death toll since the coup by the military junta stood at 328 as of Friday, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a group that documents deaths and arrests. It had cautioned however that the actual number of casualties was "likely much higher". The United Nations said it had received reports of "scores killed, including children" as well as hundreds of people injured. It condemned the violence as "shocking" and "compounding the illegitimacy of the coup and the culpability of its leaders". The US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, said that Washington is "horrified by the bloodshed perpetrated by Burmese authorities." He said the killings show "that the junta will sacrifice the lives of the people to serve a few" and added, "the courageous people of Burma reject the military's reign of terror." In an earlier statement, the US embassy in Myanmar had said that the "Security forces are murdering unarmed civilians, including children". The EU embassy in Myanmar said in a statement released on Facebook that "this 76th Myanmar Armed Forces Day will forever stay engraved as a day of terror and dishonor. The killing of unarmed civilians, including children, are indefensible acts." It called for an "immediate" and "unconditional" end to the violence. The British ambassador wrote in a statement released on Twitter that "the security forces have disgraced themselves by shooting unarmed civilians" while Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab wrote that the bloodshed "marks a new low". "We will work with our international partners to end this senseless violence, hold those responsible to account, and secure a path back to democracy," he added. In a joint statement, the defense chiefs of the US, Australia, Canada, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Denmark, the Netherlands, New Zealand, South Korea and the UK said that "a professional military follows international standards for conduct and is responsible for protecting — not harming — the people it serves." "We urge the Myanmar Armed Forces to cease violence and work to restore respect and credibility with the people of Myanmar that it has lost through its actions," they went on. On Feb. 1, following a general election in which Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party won by a landslide, the military seized control of the country and declared a year-long state of emergency. As Suu Kyi remains in detention at an unknown location, protesters have taken to the streets. In addition to imposing curfews and other restrictions, security forces have used water cannon, rubber bullets and live ammunition to try to disperse the demonstrators, according to news reports. "It is critical to find an urgent solution to this crisis," underscored the secretary-general. He reiterated an imperative appeal to the military to refrain from violence and repression and upheld that "those responsible for the serious human rights violations committed in Myanmar must be held accountable". — Agencies
