The White House on Thursday called the situation on the ground in Myanmar “troubling” and said that the Biden administration is working closely with its partners in the region and has taken sanction steps to send a clear message that the coup in the country is “unacceptable,” PTI reported. 

“The situation on the ground in Burma is troubling,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters at her daily news conference on Thursday.

Civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi was ousted on February 1. This gave rise to mass protests in the country, resulting in the death of several people. 

State Department spokesperson Ned Price also spoke to reporters in a separate press conference and said that the United States is “deeply saddened” to know that the security forces in Myanmar killed over 20 people on March 3.

“We strongly condemn the use of violence by Burmese (Myanmarese) security forces against the Burmese people, including peaceful protesters, journalists and civil society. We continue to urge the Burmese military to exercise maximum restraint,” Price said, PTI reported. 

“This latest escalation in violence demonstrates the fact of the junta’s complete disregard for their own people, for the people of Burma. It is unacceptable, and the world will continue to respond. The United States will continue to respond; we’ll continue to respond in tandem with our partners and allies around the world,” Price added.