German FM warns of civil war in Myanmar

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas warned against a threat of a civil war in Myanmar after the military coup in the Southeast Asian country.

"The army led Myanmar to the brink of disaster within a few weeks. More than 500 people have already been killed, and thousands have fled," Maas said in statements to the Funke Media Group newspapers on Sunday.

"No one in the region can be interested in Myanmar sinking into civil war — not even those who are not interested in saving democracy,” he added.

Protesters are taking to the streets across Myanmar, defying the military group that is seeking to crush the uprising with a campaign of violence.

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.