The United Nations Human Rights Mission in Myanmar accused the country’s ruling military of mobilizing tens of thousands of troops and heavy weapons in the north of the country, expressing fear of “mass atrocities” there.
“We must all be prepared, as are the people in this part of Myanmar, for more mass atrocities,” Tom Andrews told the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
He added that “these tactics” are “grimly reminiscent of those used by the armed forces before the genocidal attacks against the Rohingya in Rakhine State in 2016 and 2017,” noting that he had received information that very large numbers of forces were moving in remote areas in northern and northwestern Myanmar.
According to a statement issued by the UN Human Rights Council, Andrews, a former US parliamentarian, presented to the UN General Assembly the conclusions of his annual report on the human rights situation in Myanmar.
According to this statement, since the coup launched in February, the Myanmar Military Council has continued to commit “possible crimes against humanity and war crimes”.
The US diplomat said he came “in front of this esteemed institution today to convey to you a simple request from the people of Myanmar: pay attention to the unfolding catastrophe and translate this concern into meaningful actions.”
The military has held power in Myanmar since the February 1 coup against the civilian government of Chancellor Aung San Suu Kyi.
The coup ended a decade-long democratic period. Since the coup, the military has waged a bloody crackdown on opponents, during which more than 1,100 civilians have been killed and 8,400 arrested, according to the local NGO, the Association for the Assistance of Political Prisoners.
