Blinken Says US Committed to Supporting Peace in Burma

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated on Monday the US commitment to promoting peace and respect for the human rights of all people in Burma, including the Rohingya.

 

"The NUG's pledge to address discrimination & human rights abuses against Rohingya is an important signal to all those working for an inclusive, democratic future," Blinken tweeted.

 

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Stefan Dujarric, the spokesman for the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General said that more than 121,000 people have been displaced in Myanmar as a result of armed conflict and insecurity in parts of the country since the beginning of 2021.

 

In a statement, Dujarric referred to the displacement of about 37,000 people in Kayah state southeastern Myanmar, following a new wave of clashes between the Myanmar armed forces and the Karenni army.

 

He also added that thousands of people have fled their homes in the southeastern regions of Qin State since last week.

 

Fighting broke out between Myanmar security forces and a coalition of armed ethnic groups opposed to  February’s coup in a city located on the border with China.

 

The gunbattle took place in the city of Muse, one of the main crossings to China, which is the latest in Myanmar since the coup to clashes in the border areas, according to Reuters.

Myanmar’s security forces have killed more than 800 civilians during their nearly two-month efforts to end protests against the February 1 coup, as thousands took to the streets again despite the mounting death toll, according to an activist group.

 

The country has been witnessing a wave of unrest since the military ousted the government of civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi from power through a February 1 coup, sparking a nationwide uprising in which protesters called for the restoration of democracy.

 

U.S. President Joe Biden condemned the bloody crackdown on protesters in Myanmar, as security forces killed more than 100 people, including at least seven children.

 

“It’s absolutely outrageous and based on the reporting I’ve gotten, an awful lot of people have been killed totally unnecessarily,” US President Joe Biden told reporters.

 

He also added that US is currently working on imposing more sanctions against Myanmar Junta.