Paris: The foreign ministers of the Group of Seven most developed countries on Tuesday 'firmly condemned' the deadly use of force by Myanmar's military against people protesting a coup.
"We, the G7 Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States of America and the High Representative of the European Union firmly condemn violence committed by Myanmar's security forces against peaceful protests," the joint statement from the G7 read.
According to Sputnik, at least two protesters have died after the junta seized power in Myanmar on February 1. Tens of thousands have rallied across the country to demand the release of the elected leaders, prompting a military crackdown.
"We offer condolences for the loss of life. The military and the police must exercise the utmost restraint and respect human rights and international law. The use of live ammunition against unarmed people is unacceptable. Anyone responding to peaceful protests with violence must be held to account," the group said.
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The group has also condemned the intimidation of those opposing the coup and raised concerns at the crackdown on freedom of expression, including through the internet blackout and draconian changes to the law that repress free speech. "The systematic targeting of protesters, doctors, civil society and journalists must stop and the state of emergency must be revoked. We continue to call for full humanitarian access to support the most vulnerable," the group continued.