Satellite photos showing the disappearance of villages and a buildup of army camps offer what researchers say is potential evidence of human rights abuses in Myanmar, the scene of bloody anti-government protests that have drawn tens of thousands of demonstrators.
At least nine people were killed in Myanmar on Thursday, when soldiers with automatic rifles fired into the crowds. Troops in riot gear also raided Buddhist monasteries on the outskirts of Yangon and beat and arrested dozens of monks, according to witnesses and Western diplomats.
Myanmar, also known as Burma, has become the focus of international pressure to curtail the violent repression of its citizens.
“We are trying to send a message to the military junta that we are watching from the sky,” Aung Din, policy director for the U.S. Campaign for Burma, said Friday at a briefing on the photos.
The American Association for the Advancement of Science said it has compiled satellite images that provide evidence of village destruction, forced relocations and a growing military presence at sites across eastern Myanmar.