At least 1,500 people have been killed in year-long protests against a coup in Myanmar, with thousands more likely to be killed in armed clashes, the United Nations human rights office said on Tuesday.
At least 11,787 people have been illegally detained in Myanmar during this period, with 8,792 still in custody, UN human rights spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said.
Myanmar’s ruling military junta has challenged past estimates by rights groups of the death toll.
Shamdasani announced the numbers of arbitrary detentions at a UN briefing in Geneva, adding: “This is to express their opposition to the military, whether in peaceful protests or through online events.”
“We recorded 1,500 people killed, but only in the context of protests,” she said, adding that 200 people “died as a result of torture in military custody.”
“The 1,500 people don’t include those killed in the armed conflict … we know they are in the thousands,” Shamdasani said.
Complete News Source : Hindustan Times
