In a rare departure from its usual diplomatic restraint, the International Red Cross denounced Burma's military government on Friday, saying it commits abuses against civilians and detainees that cause "immense suffering."
The regime makes thousands of detainees serve as porters for the military, exposing them to the danger of combat and other risks, the Red Cross said. It also alleged repeated abuses by the military against men, women and children living along the Thai-Burmese border, including the large-scale destruction of food supplies.
The UN and Western countries have long accused the junta of human rights abuses, such as forcing people to do unpaid manual labor and haul supplies as army porters.
The Burmese government rejects allegations of rights abuses and says it is making progress toward democracy.
Usually the Red Cross complains confidentially to governments about human rights abuses, leading to criticism of the neutral agency for failing to disclose severe violations. Its silence during the Holocaust was an extreme case, but more recently it was criticized for failing to go public with its knowledge of US abuses in Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison.
In denouncing Burma, Red Cross President Jakob Kellenberger said the organization had repeatedly complained to the government about the abuses, "but the authorities have failed to put a stop to them."
"The persistent use of detainees as porters for the armed forces is a matter of grave humanitarian concern," Kellenberger said. "The actions of the authorities have also resulted in immense suffering for thousands of people in conflict-affected areas."
Burma's military has severely restricted freedom of movement in combat areas along the Thai border, "making it impossible for many villagers to work in their fields," he said.
The armed forces have also committed "numerous acts of violence," including murder, against civilians in these areas, the Red Cross said. "They have also forced villagers to directly support military operations or to leave their homes."
The Red Cross said it based its complaints on observations made by the group's delegates and numerous allegations of abuse collected during private interviews with thousands of civilians and detainees.
"Many detainees used as porters have suffered from exhaustion and malnutrition and been subjected to degrading treatment," it said. "Some have been murdered."
Kellenberger said government restrictions on Red Cross staff made it impossible for them to move independently and hampered the delivery of humanitarian aid.
The Red Cross report made no mention of Burma's most prominent detainee, Nobel laureate and pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who has spent more than 11 of the past 18 years in detention and is currently under house arrest.
The regime makes thousands of detainees serve as porters for the military, exposing them to the danger of combat and other risks, the Red Cross said. It also alleged repeated abuses by the military against men, women and children living along the Thai-Burmese border, including the large-scale destruction of food supplies.
The UN and Western countries have long accused the junta of human rights abuses, such as forcing people to do unpaid manual labor and haul supplies as army porters.
The Burmese government rejects allegations of rights abuses and says it is making progress toward democracy.
Usually the Red Cross complains confidentially to governments about human rights abuses, leading to criticism of the neutral agency for failing to disclose severe violations. Its silence during the Holocaust was an extreme case, but more recently it was criticized for failing to go public with its knowledge of US abuses in Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison.
In denouncing Burma, Red Cross President Jakob Kellenberger said the organization had repeatedly complained to the government about the abuses, "but the authorities have failed to put a stop to them."
"The persistent use of detainees as porters for the armed forces is a matter of grave humanitarian concern," Kellenberger said. "The actions of the authorities have also resulted in immense suffering for thousands of people in conflict-affected areas."
Burma's military has severely restricted freedom of movement in combat areas along the Thai border, "making it impossible for many villagers to work in their fields," he said.
The armed forces have also committed "numerous acts of violence," including murder, against civilians in these areas, the Red Cross said. "They have also forced villagers to directly support military operations or to leave their homes."
The Red Cross said it based its complaints on observations made by the group's delegates and numerous allegations of abuse collected during private interviews with thousands of civilians and detainees.
"Many detainees used as porters have suffered from exhaustion and malnutrition and been subjected to degrading treatment," it said. "Some have been murdered."
Kellenberger said government restrictions on Red Cross staff made it impossible for them to move independently and hampered the delivery of humanitarian aid.
The Red Cross report made no mention of Burma's most prominent detainee, Nobel laureate and pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who has spent more than 11 of the past 18 years in detention and is currently under house arrest.
