‘Myanmar Military a Terrorist Group,’ Says Advisory Council
Since the coup in February, the military has killed more than 440 people, including children.
The Special Advisory Council for Myanmar (SAC-M), an independent group of international experts on Myanmar, accused the country’s armed forces of engaging in acts of terrorism following Saturday’s crackdown that killed more than 100 people.
In a press release, the council said they received reports about soldiers and police seizing bodies of people they killed, dragging them away from their families and burning them.
It was also stated that for nearly two months the military has committed murder and torture, engaged in detentions, destruction of property, and orchestrated media blackouts against residents they are supposed to protect.
“These are barbaric criminal acts, calculated to provoke a state of terror in the general public with the purpose of terrorizing the entire population,” SAC-M founding member Marzuki Darusman stated.
“The actions of the Myanmar military are the actions of a terrorist group, under any United Nations definition of the term,” he added.
Call for International Action
SAC-M is calling on the international community to help Myanmar and its people by cutting military funds and the supply of weapons to the country.
Furthermore, the group wants the situation to be reported to the International Criminal Court so that those responsible for the chaos are sanctioned.
“SAC-M continues to call for an immediate visit by an international delegation to Myanmar to halt the military’s bloodshed and engage all parties in dialogue,” the council said.
“The delegation should include senior representatives of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, at Presidential or Prime Ministerial level, or at least, Foreign Ministerial level. Saturday’s massacre may warrant a delegation led by the United Nations Secretary-General,” it added.
Since the coup in February, more than 440 people, including children, have reportedly been killed by the military.
