UNITED NATIONS, Dec 21 (Reuters) – The U.N. Security Council adopted its first resolution on Myanmar in 74 years on Wednesday to demand an end to violence and urge the army junta to launch all political prisoners, together with ousted chief Aung San Suu Kyi.
Myanmar has been in disaster for the reason that military took energy from Suu Kyi’s elected authorities on Feb. 1, 2021, detaining her and different officers and responding to pro-democracy protests and dissent with deadly drive.
“Today we’ve sent a firm message to the military that they should be in no doubt – we expect this resolution to be implemented in full,” Britain’s U.N. Ambassador Barbara Woodward mentioned after the vote on the British-drafted resolution.
“We’ve also sent a clear message to the people of Myanmar that we seek progress in line with their rights, their wishes and their interests,” Woodward instructed the 15-member council.
It has lengthy been cut up on how to cope with the Myanmar disaster, with China and Russia arguing in opposition to robust motion. They each abstained from the vote on Wednesday, together with India. The remaining 12 members voted in favor.
“China still has concerns,” China’s U.N. Ambassador Zhang Jun instructed the council after the vote. “There is no quick fix to the issue … Whether or not it can be properly resolved in the end, depends fundamentally, and only, on Myanmar itself.”
He mentioned China had wished the Security Council to undertake a proper assertion on Myanmar, not a resolution.
Russia’s U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia mentioned Moscow didn’t view the state of affairs in Myanmar as a menace to worldwide peace and safety and due to this fact believed it shouldn’t be handled by the U.N. Security Council.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken welcomed the resolution’s adoption. “This is an important step by the Security Council to address the crisis and end the Burma military regime’s escalating repression and violence against civilians,” he mentioned in a press release.
‘FIRST STEP’
Until now the council had solely agreed formal statements on Myanmar, the place the military additionally led a 2017 crackdown on Rohingya Muslims that was described by the United States as genocide. Myanmar denies genocide and mentioned it was waging a respectable marketing campaign in opposition to insurgents who attacked police posts.
Negotiations on the draft Security Council resolution started in September. The preliminary textual content – seen by Reuters – urged an end to the switch of arms to Myanmar and threatened sanctions, however that language has since been eliminated.
The adopted resolution expresses “deep concern” on the persevering with state of emergency imposed by the army when it seized energy and its “grave impact” on Myanmar’s folks.
It urges “concrete and immediate actions” to implement a peace plan agreed by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and points a name to “uphold democratic institutions and processes and to pursue constructive dialogue and reconciliation in accordance with the will and interests of the people”.
The solely different resolution adopted by the Security Council was in 1948, when the physique advisable the U.N. General Assembly admit Myanmar – then Burma – as a member of the world physique.
Myanmar’s U.N. Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun, who nonetheless holds the U.N. seat and represents Suu Kyi’s authorities, mentioned whereas there have been optimistic components in the resolution the National Unity Government – comprised of remnants of the ousted administration – would have most popular a stronger textual content.
“We are clear this is only a first step,” he instructed reporters. “The National Unity Government calls on the UNSC (to build) on this resolution to take further and stronger action to ensure the end of the military junta and its crimes.”
Reporting by Michelle Nichols and Kanishka Singh; Editing by Alex Richardson and Grant McCool
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