Reuters has learned that in a rare move, top military officers from the United States and eleven other countries are set to put out a message to condemn the deadly use of force by Myanmar's security forces and say the country's military has lost credibility. w/@phildstewart
The joint message has been signed by 12 chiefs of defense from Australia, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, South Korea, United Kingdom and the United States.
The message is set to came after news reports and witnesses said Myanmar security forces killed 114 people on Saturday, including some children, on Armed Forces Day - the bloodiest day of its crackdown on pro-democracy protesters since last month's military coup.
While the draft statement did not explicitly condemn the Feb. 1 coup, which ousted Aung San Suu Kyi's elected government, it said that a professional military must follow international standards for conduct "and is responsible for protecting - not harming - the people it serves."
The message is set to say that Myanmar’s military must "cease violence and work to restore respect and credibility with the people of Myanmar that it has lost through its actions." #WhatsHappeninglnMyanmar
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