The military government of Myanmar has been accused of using the pandemic to consolidate power and suppress the opposition as the number of deaths from coronavirus infection has increased drastically.
Accusations of residents and human rights activists that the military government, which took control in February, is utilising the pandemic situation, are becoming more frequent.
In the last seven days, the death rate per capita in Myanmar has surpassed that in Indonesia and Malaysia and has become the worst in Southeast Asia. The country's healthcare system was quickly overwhelmed by new COVID-19 patients. Medical oxygen supplies are dwindling, and the government has restricted its private sales in many places, saying it is trying to prevent backlogs. But this has led to widespread accusations that supplies are being channelled to government supporters and military hospitals.
At the same time, medical workers are being targeted after leading a civil disobedience movement that called on experts and civil servants not to cooperate with the government, known as the State Administrative Council.
"They have stopped distributing personal protective equipment and masks and will not allow civilians suspected of supporting the democracy movement to be treated in hospitals and doctors supporting the civil disobedience movement to be arrested," said Yanghee Lee, a UN former Myanmar human rights expert and one of the founders of the Special Advisory Council for Myanmar, news agencies said.
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