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NEW YORK: Myanmar’s ambassador to the UN, Kyaw Moe Tun, speaking on behalf of the elected civilian government of the country overthrown in a military coup on February 1, appealed to the United Nations on Friday (February 26) “to use all necessary means to take action against the Myanmar military “to restore democracy in the Southeast Asian country.
He addressed the 193-member UN General Assembly after Secretary General Antonio Guterres’ special envoy to Myanmar, Christine Schraner Burgener, warned that no country should recognize or legitimize the Myanmar junta and every effort should be made to restore democracy.
“We need the strongest possible action by the international community to immediately end the military coup, stop oppressing innocent people, return state power to the people and restore democracy,” Kyaw Moe Tun said amid applause and praise from the West. . and Islamic counterparts.
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Schraner Burgener pressed for a “clear collective signal in support of democracy” when he raised the alarm for the coup, urging “influential” countries to pressure the military to allow an independent assessment of the situation.
Myanmar has been in crisis since the military seized power and detained civil government leader Aung San Suu Kyi and much of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party after the military complained of election fraud. of November.
“Unfortunately, the current regime has asked me until now to postpone any visits. It seems they want to continue making large-scale arrests and have been coercing people to testify against the NLD government. This is cruel and inhumane,” he said Schraner Burgener.
The country has been largely paralyzed by weeks of protests and a civil disobedience campaign of strikes against the military. While the military chief, General Min Aung Hlaing, says authorities are using minimal force during the protests, three protesters and a policeman were killed.
“If there is any escalation in terms of military repression, and sadly, as we have seen before in Myanmar, against people exercising their basic rights, let us act quickly and collectively,” said Schraner Burgener.
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The army has promised elections, but has not given a date. It has imposed a state of emergency for one year.
The election issue is at the center of a diplomatic effort by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), of which Myanmar is a member. Indonesia has taken the lead, but opponents of the coup fear the efforts will give the junta legitimacy.
“It is important that the international community does not grant legitimacy or recognition to this regime,” said Schraner Burgener. “The result of the November 2020 elections was clear with 82 percent of the votes for the NLD.”
Guterres has pledged to mobilize enough international pressure “to make sure this coup fails.” The Security Council has expressed its concern about the state of emergency, but did not condemn the coup.
Schraner Burgener expressed concern for Rohingya Muslims and other minorities.
A 2017 military crackdown in Myanmar’s Rakhine state sent more than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims fleeing to Bangladesh, where they are still stranded. Guterres and western states have accused the Myanmar military of ethnic cleansing, which they deny.
“We must ask ourselves, how can we trust a military regime when it led the security operations that led to human rights violations and the forced displacement of the Rohingya and others from their homes?” Schraner Burgener said.
