At least 581 killed in Myanmar since coup: Rights group

By Pizaro Gozali Idrus

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AA) - At least 581 people in Myanmar have been killed since the country’s military seized control on Feb. 1, a Myanmar-based civil rights group said.

As of April 6, a total of 2,750 people were under detention and 38 of them were sentenced, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) said in a statement on Tuesday.

The statement questioned the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ (ASEAN) non-intervention stance on the continuing violence in Myanmar.

“The non-interference policy does not mean allowing the junta to torture detained persons, or mutilate civilians with tattoos of their democratically elected leaders,” it said.

On Tuesday, the junta forces cracked down on a gathering of health workers, injuring a person and arresting four doctors in Mandalay, the group said.

In the Kyaukme township in Shan state, the junta forces assaulted a crowd of protesters with more than 20 smoke grenades.

Myanmar’s army seized power on Feb. 1, ousting the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi and ending the country’s brief experiment with democratic rule.

In response to the coup, civilian groups across the country launched a civil disobedience campaign with mass demonstrations and sit-ins.​​​​​​​