In a departure from its usual neutrality, the International Committee of the Red Cross today issued a statement condemning Myanmar’s military State Peace and Development Council for human rights abuses.
The Geneva, Switzerland-based International Committee of the Red Cross, or ICRC, said the Myanmar junta is systematically causing thousands of people to suffer, especially along the border with Thailand, where government soldiers raid villages, destroy food supplies, force people from their homes and commit acts of violence, including murder and child abuse. Detainees, the ICRC said, were being forced to work on government projects or act as porters for the military.
The statement comes amidst other developments in Myanmar, where 51 detainees who were arrested in a crackdown on democracy demonstrations last month were released on Wednesday.
