Myanmar’s army has imported $1 billion in weapons since seizing energy in a 2021 coup and used them “to commit atrocities,” a United Nations knowledgeable stated in a report launched Wednesday.
Fighting has ravaged Myanmar for the reason that coup, together with renewed clashes with ethnic insurgent teams in addition to the formation of dozens of “People’s Defense Forces” now battling the junta.
In its crackdown in opposition to dissent, the “military has killed a minimum of 3,500 civilians” and the variety of political prisoners has swelled to twenty,000, stated the report.
It added that a minimum of $1 billion “worth of weapons, dual-use technology, and materials used to manufacture weapons” have been introduced in by the junta from the day of the coup on Feb. 1, 2021, to December 2022, primarily from suppliers in Russia, China, Singapore, and India.
“These weapons, and the materials to manufacture more of them, have continued to flow uninterrupted to the Myanmar military despite overwhelming evidence of its responsibility for atrocity crimes,” stated Tom Andrews, the U.N. Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Myanmar.
According to the report, the junta imported $406 million in arms and tools from Russia and $267 million from China, together with from state-owned entities. Indian firms and state-owned entities accounted for $51 million in items.
Companies based mostly in Singapore offered an extra $254 million in provides, whereas $28 million in tools got here from entities based mostly in Thailand.
“Russia and China-based entities are critical to the Myanmar military for transfers of advanced weapon systems and their spare parts,” Andrews wrote.
The imports have simply circumvented worldwide sanctions prohibiting arms commerce with Myanmar, in keeping with Andrews.
His report singled out an assault on an opposition-controlled village that killed round 170 folks, together with kids, describing it for example of a “probable” conflict crime.
Andrews wrote {that a} fighter jet dropped two bombs on Pazi Gyi village within the central Sagaing area, concentrating on the opening ceremony of an workplace of the National Unity Government – a shadow administration dominated by lawmakers from ousted chief Aung San Suu Kyi’s get together.
Soon after, two assault helicopters arrived on the village and commenced firing on survivors and first responders, he added.
“This brutal attack is also another example of how the Myanmar junta is using internationally supplied arms and associated materials to commit atrocities,” the report stated.
Special rapporteurs are mandated by the U.N. Human Rights Council however are unpaid, unbiased specialists who don’t communicate for the United Nations.
Source: www.dailysabah.com
