Myanmar killings draw international condemnation

The U.S. Department of Defense confirmed Saturday that twelve nations have signed a joint statement condemning the actions of the Myanmar military during the weekend's democracy protests.

As Myanmar’s military celebrated the annual Armed Forces Day holiday with a parade Saturday in the country's capital, soldiers and police elsewhere killed scores of people while suppressing protests in the deadliest bloodletting since last month's coup.

The online news site Myanmar Now reported late Saturday that the death toll had reached 114.

The killings quickly drew international condemnation, including a joint statement from the defense chiefs of the U.S, Australia, Canada, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Denmark, the Netherlands, New Zealand, South Korea and the U.K.

“A professional military follows international standards for conduct and is responsible for protecting – not harming – the people it serves,” they said.

“We urge the Myanmar Armed Forces to cease violence and work to restore respect and credibility with the people of Myanmar that it has lost through its actions.”

The European Union’s delegation to Myanmar said that the 76th Myanmar Armed Forces Day “will stay engraved as a day of terror and dishonor.”

“The killing of unarmed civilians, including children, are indefensible acts,” it added.

The death toll in Myanmar has been steadily rising as authorities grow more forceful in suppressing opposition to the Feb. 1 coup that ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.

The coup reversed years of progress toward democracy after five decades of military rule.