Western embassies urge Myanmar army to ‘refrain from violence’

Western embassies in Myanmar on Sunday called on the country’s military to “refrain from violence against demonstrators and civilians” after security forces opened fire to disperse a protest and deployed armored vehicles in cities.

In a statement released late Sunday, the embassies of the European Union, the United Kingdom, Canada and 11 other nations condemned the arrests of political leaders and harassment of journalists after a coup on Feb. 1 and denounced the military’s interruption of communications.

“We support the people of Myanmar in their quest for democracy, freedom, peace and prosperity. The world is watching,” the statement said.