Myanmar’s military must halt attacks on the town of Loikaw and lift a blockade on those trying to flee, a UN human rights investigator said on Monday. Residents of the town, the capital of eastern Myanmar Kayah State, are trapped in the midst of Myanmar's military attacks. The town borders Thailand and has often seen intense fighting between the army and rebel groups opposed to last year's coup.
Since last week, the military had launched airstrikes and fired artillery in the town, forcing several thousand residents to flee. Myanmar has been in turmoil since the military overthrew the elected government of Nobel Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi last February, sparking months of protests and a bloody crackdown.
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