More than 1,000 people have been killed by security forces in Myanmar since the military seized power from the elected Government of Aung San Suu Kyi about six months ago, a human rights group said on Wednesday.
The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, which monitors protest-related arrests and deaths in Myanmar, said it confirmed two more deaths on Wednesday, bringing the total to 1,001.
There has been a groundswell of protests against the military-led Government since Suu Kyi’s ouster. Casualties are also rising among the military and police as armed resistance grows in both urban and rural areas.
Teik Naing, secretary-general of the AAPP, said most of the people killed were anti-military activists and more than 40 were shot in the head.
In addition, a large number died in interrogation centers and prisons after being arrested, Teik Naing said.
The military leadership disputes the AAPP’s figures but has not recently released any of its own.