Human Rights Watch report says at least 20 killed in Burma crackdown

At least 20 people were killed during a crackdown on protestors by the military junta in Burma, twice as many as the government reported, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today, according to Agence France-Presse.

“The crackdown in Burma is far from over,” said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “Harsh repression continues, and the government is still lying about the extent of the deaths and detentions.”

The group claimed that the actual death toll is probably much higher and said that hundreds of activists remain imprisoned. HRW said its assessment was based on interviews with more than 100 witnesses, but added that it could not establish a definitive death toll because it could not gather any information from outside Yangon.

HRW has accused the government of lying about the number of deaths and people in jail.

“It’s time for the world to impose a UN arms embargo and financial sanctions, to hurt Burma’s leaders until they make real changes,” said Adams. “Countries like China, India and Thailand have the responsibility to take action to help hold the generals accountable and to end this long nightmare of military repression.”

For the AFP article, click here.
For the HRW release, click here.