Human Rights Watch calls for global action on Myanmar

Human Rights Watch has said that the military junta in Myanmar is waging a war against its own people, and it has called on world governments, including Japan, to step up their response.

The group released a statement on December 10, marking international Human Rights Day. It highlighted the situation in Myanmar, describing the country as having become the “worst of the worse” among ASEAN nations for human rights abuses.

It added that military crackdowns have led to attacks on civilians, and about one hundred political prisoners have been sentenced to death. It warns the situation could get worse.

The group’s Deputy Asia Director Phil Robertson says the international community needs to step up.

“We have called for, time and time again, an international arms embargo to be imposed by the UN Security Council to stop the violence, we’ve demanded that there be targeted sanctions”, he said.

Robertson also called on Japan, which he referred to as one of Asia’s oldest democracies, to do more.