The world is condemning the military junta of Myanmar for the brutal killing of more than 100 protesters on Saturday.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said that Washington is “horrified” by Saturday’s deaths in Myanmar.
The killings, reportedly of more than 100 people, show “that the junta will sacrifice the lives of the people to serve the few,” Blinken said.
“The courageous people of Burma reject the military’s reign of terror.”
The US embassy had said forces were “murdering unarmed civilians”, while the EU delegation to Myanmar said Saturday – officially Armed Forces Day – would “stay engraved as a day of terror and dishonour”.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was “deeply shocked”, while British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab called it a “new low”.
Meanwhile, the top military officers from the United States and its allies said Myanmar’s military has lost credibility with its people.
A joint statement has been drafted and signed by 12 chiefs of defense from Australia, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, South Korea, United Kingdom and the United States.
“As Chiefs of Defense, we condemn the use of lethal force against unarmed people by the Myanmar Armed Forces and associated security services,” read the draft statement.
While the draft statement did not explicitly condemn the February 1 coup, which ousted Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government, it said that a professional military must follow international standards for conduct “and is responsible for protecting – not harming – the people it serves.”
It said the country’s military must “cease violence and work to restore respect and credibility with the people of Myanmar that it has lost through its actions.”
