IWDA Condemns Burmese Military Crackdown

International Women’s Development Agency condemns the Burmese military’s use of armed force against unarmed and peaceful demonstrators, and calls on the international community to intervene.

The military junta ruling Burma, the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), has launched a violent crackdown in response to the public protests against its rule, which have increased to hundreds of thousands of people in the last week. There are reports that soldiers have fired live ammunition into crowds, killing an unknown number of people, and that thousands of monks have been beaten and arrested in night raids on the monasteries.

The use of excessive force and all forms of arbitrary detention of peaceful protesters are strictly prohibited under international law.

“The people of Burma are courageously risking their lives in order to secure their freedom,” says Jane Sloane, Executive Director of IWDA. “This time, the United Nations, and the world, must come to their aid.”

We urge the United Nations and international actors to act decisively to stop the crisis in Burma before more lives are lost.

This entry was posted on Monday, October 8th, 2007 under admin.