Myanmar: Surging deaths, hundreds disappeared in unrest and many fleeing the capital; UN decries killing

Members of the medical community hold up the three finger salute at the funeral of Khant Nyar Hein at his funeral in Yangon on March 16, 2021, after the first year medical student was shot dead during a crackdown by security forces on protesters taking part in a demonstration against the military coup. - AFP

GENEVA, March 16 (AFP): The UN on Tuesday decried surging deaths in Myanmar since the February 1 coup, warning that detained protesters were facing torture and hundreds had disappeared.

"The death toll has soared over the past week in Myanmar, where security forces have been using lethal force increasingly aggressively against peaceful protesters," UN rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani told reporters.