Provides Health Care For Anti-Regime Groups, Myanmar Military Arrests 18 Medics

Myanmar nurses rally in civil disobedience against the military regime. (Twitter/@HninYuL56255394)

JAKARTA - The Myanmar military regime has again carried out repressive actions against medical personnel, with dozens of people being arrested for providing health services at a church.

Citing Reuters from the state-run newspaper Nov. 24, Myanmar's military arrested 18 medics who provided treatment to patients it described as members of "terrorist organizations", a reference to anti-regime groups.

Military regime forces made the arrests during Monday's raid on the church located in Loikaw, eastern Kayah State, where they found 48 patients receiving treatment, with seven of them suffering from COVID-19.

"It is well known that unofficial medical care is being provided to injured persons and patients from terrorist organizations," the Global New Light of Myanmar said in its report.

However, the report did not name the organization. It said the 18 medics who were arrested would be treated according to the law.

Myanmar's health care system has almost collapsed since the army toppled the elected government in a February 1 coup. Many medical workers joined the civil disobedience movement (CDM), refusing to work in military-run hospitals in protest of junta rule.

Meanwhile, many health facilities and workers have been targeted by security forces, according to human rights groups, despite the military's appeal for doctors to return to work.

Some of the four doctors, four nurses and 10 nursing assistants arrested at the church had previously been charged with sedition for their refusal to work, the report said.

Nearly 1,300 civilians have been killed and more than 10,000 arrested since the coup, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), which has been tracking post-coup events in Myanmar.

The military has rejected the AAPP data, which has been cited by the United Nations, and accused it of bias. Meanwhile, a junta spokesman last week said 200 soldiers had died in the conflict.

The Myanmar Coup. The editor of VOI continues to monitor the political situation in one of the ASEAN member countries. Civilian casualties continue to fall. Readers can follow news about the Myanmar military coup by tapping this link.