Myanmar’s shadow civilian National Unity Government has called on citizens to report atrocities committed by the military regime, which it has declared a terrorist organization.
The NUG designated the military and its affiliated organizations as terrorist groups on Monday for perpetrating acts of terrorism towards innocent civilians, creating public fear for political motives to control the country.
Since the Feb. 1 coup, more than 800 civilians, including large numbers of children, have been killed and more than 5,000 people detained with many tortured and sexually abused, the NUG said.
At least 20 detainees have been tortured to death by the regime, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners.
The NUG’s home affairs and immigration ministerial representative U Lwin Ko Latt called on the public to report all atrocities to support future prosecutions.
The shadow ministry said it is planning to bring perpetrators to both domestic and international courts to punish the massacres on innocent civilians, crimes against humanity and forced displacements.
“I request people who suffered lawless arrests, detentions, loss of property and anyone grieving for those tortured to death or killed on the roads to file complaints to the ministry,” U Lwin Ko Latt said in a video message.
He said while the NUG is gathering records of crimes since the coup, it is important to have complaints from all those who suffered to support prosecutions.
Complaints can be lodged on the ministry’s website, he added.
The regime has branded the NUG, its parliamentary committee and the offshoot civilian defense forces as “terrorist groups” for alleged acts of incitement against the junta.
The military seized power from the democratically elected government on Feb. 1 and detained civilian leaders and pro-democracy activists.
Elected lawmakers, who were prevented from taking their seats in Union Parliament by the coup, said they set up the NUG in an attempt to defy the military regime, restore civilian rule and establish a federal union.
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