ANKARA

Several countries and the UN have urged the military regime in Myanmar to end the “campaign of violence,” as Thursday marked the third anniversary of the coup in the Southeast Asian country.

To cement its rule, the regime extended a state of emergency for further six months.


In a joint statement, the US, EU, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Norway, UK, South Korea and Switzerland condemned the violence against civilians in Myanmar.

"Under the military regime, violence against civilians has escalated, with thousands jailed, tortured and killed. Airstrikes, shelling and arson have been used to destroy civilian infrastructure, including homes, schools, healthcare facilities and places of worship. Systematic discrimination against members of religious and ethnic groups, including Rohingya, is rife," they said in a joint statement.

They called for end to violence and the release of all "unjustly" detained political prisoners, and allowing full humanitarian access besides creating space for inclusive dialogue with all stakeholders.

"Three years on from the military coup, we continue to stand in solidarity with the Myanmar people and their desire for an inclusive and genuine democracy in Myanmar," the statement said.

On Feb. 1, 2021, the military junta in Myanmar ousted its once ally Aung San Suu Kyi’s government after her National League for Democracy party won national elections in November 2020.

Civil Disobedience Movement, a campaigning group that sprang up after the coup, posted photos on X on Thursday, showing empty roads and shops closed in some parts of the country.

“The peoples of Myanmar are faithful to the revolution. We have never given up. Int’l community, please support the civilian activists,” the movement said on X.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also voiced grave concern over the deteriorating situation in the Southeast Asian nation and urged for reinstating civilian rule.

Condemning all forms of violence, Guterres called for the protection of civilians and the cessation of hostilities.

"An inclusive solution to this crisis requires conditions that permit the people of Myanmar to exercise their human rights freely and peacefully. The military’s campaign of violence targeting civilians and political repression must end, and those responsible be held to account,” Guterres said.

Sanctions

Australia on Thursday imposed additional targeted sanctions on five entities with direct links to the Myanmar military regime.

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said these sanctions are "designed to limit" the regime's access to the “funds and materiel that enable it to continue to commit atrocities against its own people.”

However, a recent report by the Justice for Myanmar group, accused Australian companies, which continue to operate in Myanmar's mining sector, for "providing the junta with support and legitimacy, and helping to ensure the mining sector stays open for business."

On Wednesday, the US Treasury Department also imposed sanctions on two entities “closely associated” with the military regime in Myanmar, as well as four cronies.

At least 4,474 civilians have been killed and nearly 20,000 people are being held in detention on political grounds since the Feb. 1, 2021 coup, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a local monitoring group. The UN says more than 2 million people have also been displaced by the violence.

Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, the junta chief, said it cannot lift the emergency as it deals with ethnic armed groups across the country.

Extension in the state of emergency also delays elections that were promised following the coup.


The military is reeling from a coordinated offensive launched in October last year by three ethnic minority rebel groups in the country's northern region. The groups are attacking junta forces, which rule the Buddhist-majority nation, capturing many towns and junta outposts.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid