MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines said on Tuesday that it was “profoundly dismayed” by reports of “excessive” force used against unarmed protesters in Myanmar over the weekend following the country’s military coup.
“The Philippines is profoundly dismayed at reports of excessive and needless force against unarmed protesters in Myanmar on Armed Forces Day, which resulted in the worst violence since the military takeover,” the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said in a statement.
The Philippine government, through the DFA, reiterated its call for security forces in Myanmar to “exercise restraint and desist from resorting to disproportionate force against unarmed citizens.”
“We remain steadfast in supporting Myanmar on its path to a fuller democracy beginning with the immediate release of State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and duly-elected civilian leaders,” the department said.
READ: PH calls for immediate release of Myanmar’s Suu Kyi
Defense chiefs from a dozen countries have jointly condemned Saturday’s bloodbath in Myanmar, in which at least 90 people were killed, including several children, after security forces opened fire on protesters.
READ: Global condemnation follows bloodiest day since
According to a local monitoring group, the newly installed junta staged a big show of might for its annual Armed Forces Day, as the death toll since the February 1 coup climbed to at least 423.
Myanmar has been in turmoil since the generals ousted and detained Suu Kyi, triggering mass protests demanding a return to democracy.