6/12/07 At least 20 killed in Myanmar crackdown: Human Rights Watch

At least 20 killed in Myanmar crackdown: Human Rights Watch

(AFP) – Dec 6, 2007

BANGKOK (AFP) — At least 20 people were killed in Myanmar's crackdown on pro-democracy protests in September, twice as many as its junta has admitted, Human Rights Watch said in a report Friday.
The New York-based group warned that the true toll was likely much higher, accusing the government of lying about the killings and number of arrests and saying hundreds of activists remain behind bars.
"The crackdown in Burma is far from over," said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch, referring to Myanmar's former name.
"Harsh repression continues, and the government is still lying about the extent of the deaths and detentions."
The report specifically accuses Myanmar's national police chief Khin Yee of supervising arrests, beatings and killings of Buddhist monks at the Shwedagon Pagoda in Rangoon on September 26.
The military regime has admitted 10 people died, but the United Nations has put the figure at 15 or more.
Buddhist monks and former student leaders spearheaded the protests across the country in August and September, posing the biggest challenge to military rule in nearly two decades as more than 100,000 people took to the streets at the peak of the movement.
Soldiers and police used baton charges, tear gas, rubber bullets and live ammunition to break up the crowds. The junta has said nearly 3,000 people were arrested, but insists only a few dozen remain in detention.
Khin Yee told AFP on Monday that no monks had been killed.
Human Rights Watch said its assessment was based on interviews with more than 100 witnesses, but added that it could not establish a definitive death toll because it could not gather any information from outside Yangon.
The group said "hundreds" of monks and activists remain behind bars, while Amnesty International has put the number at 700.
Myanmar already held at least 1,100 political prisoners before the unrest.
"It's time for the world to impose a UN arms embargo and financial sanctions, to hurt Burma's leaders until they make real changes," said Adams.
"Countries like China, India and Thailand have the responsibility to take action to help hold the generals accountable and to end this long nightmare of military repression."

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