The United Nations reiterated its call on the military forces in Myanmar to immediately stop violence against children and respect the will of the people, institutions and the democratic process in the country.
This came in a press conference held by the spokesperson for the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Stephane Dujarric, at the permanent headquarters of the international organization in New York.
“The United Nations country team in Myanmar once again called on the security forces to immediately abstain from violence and to avoid harming children and youth,” the spokesperson said.
He added, “At least 52 children were killed by the security forces during the past 11 weeks, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).”
The spokesperson continued, “In addition, at least 741 women, children and men have been killed and thousands of others have been injured since the army took control of the Myanmar government in early February to today, according to the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.”
Dujarric emphasized that “the United Nations continues to call on the military authorities to respect the will of the people, respect democratic institutions and processes, and restore the democratically elected government of Myanmar to power.”
In early February, Myanmar military leaders carried out a military coup, followed by the arrest of senior leaders in the country, including President Win Myint and Chancellor Aung San Sochi, which sparked anti-coup protests in which 714 demonstrators were killed.
