Nearly 600 killed in Myanmar since coup: Rights group

By Pizaro Gozali Idrus

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AA) - Nearly 600 people in Myanmar have been killed since the military seized control in February, a rights group said on Thursday.

As of April 7, 598 people are confirmed to be killed by the military junta, 2,847 are under detention and 38 have been sentenced, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners said in its daily briefing.

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 civilian rule.

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

The rights group said peaceful protests continue across the Southeast Asian country, with the military now focusing its crackdown in rural areas.
"The junta forces excessively used live rounds, grenades, and machine guns trying to create a conflict zone in Tahan Ward, Kalay Township, Sagaing Region," it said.

The non-profit human rights organization based in Thailand said the military junta's actions pose a risk to the peace and security of the people in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, an economic union comprising ten member states in Southeast Asia and the entire region.