UN warns against harsh treatment of protesters in Myanmar

The United Nations (UN) has warned Myanmar’s military for its harsh treatment of protesters, saying that the “world is watching closely.”
In a press briefing, UN Deputy Spokesman Farhan Haq said that UN Special Envoy on Myanmar Christine Schraner Burgener has called on the Myanmar military to refrain from using violence and respect human rights.
“The right of peaceful assembly must fully be respected, and that demonstrators are not subjected to reprisals. She has conveyed to the Myanmar military that the world is watching closely, and any form of heavy-handed response is likely to have severe consequences,” she said.
The Secretary-General calls on the military authorities urgently to allow his Special Envoy, Christine Schraner Burgener, to visit #Myanmar to assess the situation first-hand, the @UN_Spokesperson said today.https://t.co/vy43IT56Kb pic.twitter.com/iQW4GCN3UJ
— UN Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (@UNDPPA) February 15, 2021
Protests across Myanmar have grown after the military takeover on February 1 where top political leaders were arrested.
Several of the high officials detained include State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint.
There are also reports that the military use excessive force against the demonstrators.
According to the UN human rights office (OHCHR), as of February 12, more than 350 political and state officials, activists, and civil society members have been taken into custody. Several members of the media, monks, and students were also detained
“Several face criminal charges on dubious grounds, and most have received no form of due process or permitted legal representation, family visitations or communication,” according to the UN.
Burgener also reiterated UN Secretary-General António Guterres’s statement and called for a visit to Myanmar under agreeable conditions. -AAC