Civilians in Myanmar are being subjected to crimes against humanity in the wake of the military coup, according to the United Nations.
"We do feel now having observed the events and collected preliminary evidence that the facts show a widespread and systematic attack on the civilian population, amounting to crimes against humanity," UN investigator Nicholas Koumjian said on Friday in New York.
Since the military takeover, Koumjian's team has received 200,000 messages and collected more than 1.5 million pieces of evidence. These are to be further investigated "so that one day those most responsible for the serious international crimes in Myanmar will be brought to account," he added.
Frequently targeted groups include journalists and medical personnel, as well as protesters and political dissidents. The fact that violence spiked in several places at once months after the coup implies that this was a conscious political decision, in Koumjian's view.
The military seized power in Myanmar on February 1, overthrowing the government of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. Peaceful mass protests were repressed.
A "transitional government" was appointed on August 1, although elections are not scheduled until August 2023. Meanwhile, there is armed resistance to military rule, especially in more remote areas with ethnic minorities.
