NEW YORK: The United Nations Security Council unanimously known as for a reversal of the army coup in Myanmar on Wednesday (Mar 10), strongly condemning the violence in opposition to peaceable protesters and calling for “utmost restraint” by the army.
A presidential assertion authorized by all 15 council members, together with Myanmar’s neighbour and pal China, was formally adopted at a really transient digital assembly the place US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the present council president, introduced that the assertion had been agreed.
A presidential assertion is a step beneath a decision however turns into half of the official document of the UN’s strongest physique.
The British-drafted assertion calls for the rapid launch of authorities leaders together with State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint who’ve been detained since their ouster within the Feb 1 army coup.
It helps the nation’s democratic transition and “stresses the need to uphold democratic institutions and processes, refrain from violence, fully respect human rights and fundamental freedoms and uphold the rule of law”.
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China’s UN Ambassador Zhang Jun mentioned in an announcement that “it is important the council members speak in one voice”, and declared that it was now time for de-escalation, diplomacy and dialogue.
Thomas-Greenfield additionally careworn that each one council members “spoke with one voice to condemn the ongoing violence against peaceful protesters”.
“We commend their courage and determination in the face of continued, brutal attacks by military and security forces,” she mentioned in an announcement.
“The United States will continue to work with a broad coalition of international partners to promote accountability for the coup and those responsible for violence, and will work to restore the democratically-elected government.”
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The coup reversed years of gradual progress in the direction of democracy in Myanmar, which for 5 a long time had languished underneath strict army rule that led to worldwide isolation and sanctions.
As the generals loosened their grip, culminating in Aung San Suu Kyi’s rise to energy after 2015 elections, the worldwide neighborhood responded by lifting most sanctions and pouring funding into the nation.
Lawmakers from Aung San Suu Kyi’s occasion, which gained 82 per cent of the vote in November elections, have been about to take their seats in parliament when the coup took place on Feb 1. Its leaders claimed electoral fraud, allegations the electoral fee had rejected.
Britain’s UN Ambassador Barbara Woodward mentioned the United Kingdom proposed the assertion in gentle of “the deteriorating situation” in Myanmar “to send a unified message from the Security Council” to build on its Feb 4 press statement. It strongly backed a return to democracy and known as for the rapid launch of Aung San Suu Kyi and all these arbitrarily detained by the army.
Opposition to the coup is being spearheaded by younger individuals who lived in freedom for 10 years, and it has vast help all through the nation from civil servants, railway workers who were targeted on Wednesday, Buddhist monks, and folks of all courses and ages.
Security forces have responded with mass arrests and at occasions deadly drive. At least 60 protesters have been killed because the army takeover, in keeping with the unbiased Assistance Association for Political Prisoners.
READ: How is the Myanmar military cracking down on journalists covering the protests?
Authorities have additionally moved to close down unbiased reporting, each by way of arrests of journalists and the closure of media shops – however the protests have continued regardless of the crackdowns and more and more violent techniques of safety forces.
The presidential assertion which all council members signed on to on Wednesday is weaker than the preliminary draft circulated by the United Kingdom, which might have condemned the army coup in Myanmar and threatened “possible measures under the UN Charter” – UN language for sanctions – “should the situation deteriorate further”.
Diplomats mentioned council members China, Russia, India – which can be a neighbour of Myanmar – and Vietnam – which is a member of ASEAN together with Myanmar – objected to provisions in stronger earlier drafts of the assertion.
Nonetheless, will probably be the primary presidential assertion on Myanmar adopted since 2017 and displays council unity in attempting to reverse the coup.
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UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed hope the assertion will make the army realise “that it is absolutely essential to release all prisoners, it is absolutely essential to respect the results of the elections, and to allow for a situation in which we move back to a democratic transition”.
Despite all of the “imperfections” in Myanmar’s democracy, which was underneath heavy army management, Guterres advised reporters, “I believe that it is important to go back to where we were before the coup.”
The council assertion additionally addressed the army crackdown in 2017 in opposition to Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine State involving mass rape, murders and the torching of villages that led greater than 700,000 Rohingya to flee to neighbouring Bangladesh.
It “highlights that the current situation has the potential to exacerbate existing challenges in Rakhine state and other regions”.
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The assertion additionally expresses concern that “recent developments pose particular serious challenges for the voluntary, safe, dignified, and sustainable return of Rohingya refugees and internally displaced persons”.
“It is vital that the rights of minorities are fully protected,” it careworn.
The assertion additionally calls for “safe and unimpeded humanitarian access to all people in need”.
The council inspired the pursuit of “constructive dialogue and reconciliation in accordance with the will and interests of the people of Myanmar”.
It commends ASEAN’s persevering with efforts “to engage with all relevant parties in Myanmar”.
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The council reiterated help for UN particular envoy Christine Schraner Burgener and inspired her efforts to take care of communication and “engage intensively with all relevant parties in Myanmar, and to visit Myanmar as soon as possible”.
Schraner Burgener, who has an workplace within the capital, Naypyidaw, mentioned final week the army advised her the time just isn’t but proper for a go to.
She mentioned she doesn’t have “the solution on the silver plate” however she has some concepts, which she didn’t disclose, that she desires to debate with the army, Aung San Suu Kyi, ousted parliamentarians and others.
China’s Zhang urged the worldwide neighborhood to create “an enabling environment” for the events to handle variations “under the constitutional and legal framework”, and backed diplomatic and mediation efforts by ASEAN and Schraner Burgener.
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source https://infomagzine.com/un-calls-for-reversal-of-myanmar-coup-and-condemns-violence/
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