Myanmar's authorities must immediately stop randomly arresting family and friends of opposition-minded activists and unconditionally release all those detained, a prominent international human rights group said on Monday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 14th June, 2021) Myanmar's authorities must immediately stop randomly arresting family and friends of opposition-minded activists and unconditionally release all those detained, a prominent international human rights group said on Monday.
"Seizing family members and friends as hostages is a thuggish tactic by Myanmar's security forces to terrorize the population and coerce activists to turn themselves in. The authorities should end the practice of collective punishment immediately and release everyone held on this illegal basis," Human Rights Watch Deputy Asia Director, Phil Robertson, said.
The group called for "concerned governments" to impose sanctions on Myanmar, pointing out that such form of collective punishment violated people's right to liberty, security and fair trial.
Since the start of the military coup in Myanmar in February, the military arrested at least 76 people, including an infant, when they were unable to find a specific person they were looking for, the watchdog said, citing the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners group. At least 48 people are still in detention, with some having spent over 3 months in custody, according to the report.
The rights group has been notified of cases where security forces brutally beat up people prior to arresting them.
