UN alarmed by recent Myanmar violence, calls for accountability

The United Nations on Thursday said it was alarmed by the latest wave of violence in Myanmar in the wake of the February 1 military coup and called for all those responsible, including senior commanders, to be held accountable for violations.

"The UN in Myanmar is alarmed at recent acts of violence that illustrate a sharp deterioration of the human rights environment across Myanmar," the United Nations office in Myanmar said in a statement.

The statement cited the discoveries of two mass graves in Kayin State containing the remains of 25 people, reportedly detained by the Karen National Defense Organization, and burning by security forces of some 150 homes in Kin Ma Village in Magway Region this week.

Moreover, the United Nations in Myanmar reiterated its call on all actors in the current crisis to ensure that international human rights norms and standards are respected. "This includes upholding the obligation to minimize collateral harm to civilians and to civilian infrastructure, and prohibiting the application of collective punishments against communities, families or individuals," the statement added.

The international body also called for those responsible for human rights violations to be held accountable, including the perpetrators and their chain of command.

The months-long military crackdown on anti-coup protesters in Myanmar has so far taken over 840 lives, according to the Assistance Association of Political Prisoners (AAPP).

Escalating violence across Myanmar including attacks on civilians must be halted to prevent even greater loss of life and a deepening humanitarian emergency, UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet said last Friday.

Bachelet's appeal follows reports of a continuing military build-up in various parts of the country including Kayah State in the east - where more than 108,000 people have fled their homes in the last three weeks - and in Chin State in the west.

( With inputs from ANI )

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