UN investigator: Crimes against humanity under Myanmar junta

By EDITH M. LEDERER
Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The head of the U.N. body investigating the most serious crimes in Myanmar says preliminary evidence collected since the military seized power on Feb. 1 shows a widespread and systematic attack on civilians amounting to crimes against humanity. Nicholas Koumjian told U.N. reporters Friday that the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar, which he heads, has received over 200,000 communications since the army takeover and has collected over 1.5 million items of evidence. He says it is being analyzed so that one day those most responsible for the serious international crimes in Myanmar will be brought to account. He says investigators saw patterns of violence that increased after the first six weeks following the army takeover.