In a statement made on Tuesday, the United Nations high commissioner for human rights has warned that Myanmar is dangerously close to reaching a full-blown conflict with echoes of the Syrian civil war that began in 2011 and devastated the nation. The high commissioner, Michelle Bachelet, stated that the international community needs to step in and take measures to stop the violence before Myanmar reaches this point. Bachelet stated that the military leadership is to blame for the violence, calling the incidents a “campaign of repression and slaughter of its people.”
Bachelet’s statement comes right after a bloody crackdown last week in the central town of Bago that killed at least 82 protestors and forced others to flee the region. Military forces allegedly opened fire on a group of protestors, using assault rifles, rocket-propelled grenades, and hand grenades. Advocacy group Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) has been documenting the conflict and reporting statistics undisclosed by the military.
Read More: UN rights chief fears Myanmar heading to ‘full blown conflict’ with echoes of Syria
