India, Australia call for end of violence against civilians, leaders in Myanmar

New Delhi [India], March 22 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison called for the immediate cessation of violence against civilians and leaders in Myanmar, a joint statement said on Tuesday after the second virtual leaders' summit.
"Leaders called for the immediate cessation of violence against civilian populations in Myanmar, the release of all those arbitrarily detained, including foreigners, and unhindered humanitarian access," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in the statement.
During the virtual summit, both the leaders urged Myanmar to implement ASEAN's Five-Point Consensus and encouraged the international community to work together to support an end to the violence.
The ASEAN's five-point consensus was reached last year and stressed dialogue, humanitarian assistance and an end to violence.

The Myanmar military junta took control of the country following a coup on February 1 last year.
Since the coup, security forces have killed at least 1,600 people and detained more than 12,000, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners.
Over 500,000 people have been internally displaced since the coup, while tens of thousands have fled as refugees to Thailand and India, the HRW report had further said citing United Nations refugee agency, United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) data.
Myanmar's junta has carried out a brutal nationwide crackdown to suppress those opposing military rule.
The Human Rights Watch (HRW) had on Friday said the junta's systematic and pervasive abuses, including mass killings, torture, arbitrary arrests, and indiscriminate attacks on civilians, amount to crimes against humanity and war crimes. (ANI)