The United Nations on Friday applauded the release of more than 7,000 prisoners in Burma on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the country’s independence and called on the junta to release «thousands more who remain in detention for opposing the military regime».
«The release of political prisoners in Burma is not only a relief for those unjustly detained, but also for their families,» said Jeremy Laurence, spokesman for the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, who added that «people are still being held for opposing the military regime, many of whom have been subjected to torture and ill-treatment».
He said that «these arrests are not only intended to silence critics of the junta, but are designed to instill fear,» and reiterated his call for an end to arbitrary arrests «once and for all» around the world.
Laurence stressed that, on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the UN has called on all governments to «guarantee an amnesty, pardon or simple release of all those detained for exercising their rights.» «The way out of the crisis in Burma is not to lock people up, but to allow them to participate freely, fully and effectively in political life,» he reiterated.
The junta has been at the helm of Burma since the February 2021 coup, perpetrated by the army to overturn the results of the November 2020 general election, in which the National League for Democracy (NLD) won a parliamentary majority.
The uprising was followed by a harsh crackdown on opponents, activists and protesters that has so far resulted in nearly 2,700 deaths and some 17,000 detainees – including more than 13,200 who remain in custody – according to data published by the Association for the Assistance of Political Prisoners (AAPP) through its Twitter account.
The initial protests against the coup have led to the formation of armed resistance groups and the reinforcement of ethnic militias already present in the country before the coup, which has caused an upsurge in fighting in several parts of the country, especially in the north.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
