UN report raises death toll in Myanmar crackdown

[maddezmom]

Source: Reuters

BOSTON, Dec 7 (Reuters) - Myanmar's crackdown on democracy protests in September killed at least 31 people, three times the official count, with up to 4,000 arrested and 1,000 still detained, a report by a U.N. rights envoy showed on Friday.

The report, to be presented to the U.N.'s Human Rights Council on Dec. 11, said Myanmar's military rulers used "excessive force" in quelling the monk-led street protests and had violated "fundamental rules of international law."

~snip~

Pinheiro cited "very disturbing" accounts of a large number of bodies, wrapped in plastic and rice bags, burned at a crematorium in Yangon, including the bodies of monks, on the nights of Sept. 27-30 to hide the number killed.

Official media in Myanmar have only acknowledged that 10 people died in the crackdown. Pinheiro said authorities confirmed to him 15 deaths and he found evidence of a further 16 people killed in street demonstrations.

The report cites at least 74 cases of "enforced disappearance" where Myanmar's authorities are either unable or unwilling to account for the whereabouts of individuals.

Read more: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N07619040.htm

[Warren Stupidity]

1. This is what a dictatorship looks like.

This is how tyrants rule. No prognostication required. No parsing of phrases to elicit signs of potential authoritarianism.

Where is the outrage over Burma? Over Pakistan? Over the fraudulent elections in Russia?

[RuleOfNah]

2. Have we hit Peak Outrage?

So much trouble in the world.

With so many outrageous things happening at home and abroad, perhaps there is an outrage shortage? As outrage supplies dwindle, the fight for scarce outrage becomes outrageous.