MYANMAR: UN Chief Backs Democracy For Myanmar 2 Years After Takeover

THE UNITED NATIONS – Two years after Myanmar’s military seized power, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed support for the country’s democratic aspirations while warning that the military’s planned elections coincide with a crackdown on civilians and political leaders “risk exacerbating instability.”

According to U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric, the secretary-general strongly condemns all forms of violence in Myanmar as the country’s crisis worsens “and fuels serious regional implications.”

On February 1, 2021, the army deposed Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government, arresting her and top members of her ruling National League for Democracy party, which had won a landslide victory for a second term in a November 2020 general election.

Security forces used lethal force to suppress widespread opposition to the military takeover, killing nearly 2,900 civilians and arresting thousands more who participated in nonviolent protests. The brutal crackdown sparked armed resistance across much of the country. The military government has designated major anti-army organizations as “terrorist” organizations.

The military enacted a new law on political party registration, published on Friday, making it difficult for opposition groups to mount a serious challenge to army-backed candidates in a general election later this year. It sets minimum requirements for parties, such as a number of members 100 times higher than in the 2020 elections and strict rules about how much money they can spend.

The Secretary-General Continues To Stand In Solidarity

“The military’s stated intention to hold elections amid intensifying aerial bombardment and burning of civilian houses, as well as ongoing arrests, intimidation, and harassment of political leaders, civil society actors, and journalists,” said the United Nations spokesman. “The proposed polls risk exacerbating instability unless conditions allow the people of Myanmar to freely exercise their political rights.”

The secretary-general “continues to stand in solidarity with the people of Myanmar and to support their democratic aspirations for an inclusive, peaceful, and just society, as well as the protection of all communities, including the Rohingya,” according to Dujarric.

Long-standing discrimination against Rohingya Muslims in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, including denial of citizenship and a slew of other rights, erupted in August 2017 when Myanmar’s military launched a “clearance campaign” in northern Rakhine state in response to attacks on police and border guards by a Rohingya militant group. As troops allegedly committed mass rapes and killings and burned thousands of homes, over 700,000, Rohingya fled to Bangladesh, where they remain in camps.

The International Court of Justice, the United Nation’s highest court, ordered Myanmar to do everything possible to prevent genocide against the Rohingya in January 2020. A two-day-old report from an independent commission set up by Myanmar’s government found that there were reasons to think that security forces committed war crimes against the Rohingya but not genocide.

Myanmar To Work Closely With South-Asian Countries

Guterres praised the United Nations Security Council’s first-ever resolution on Myanmar, which called for an immediate cessation of violence in the Southeast Asian country and urged its military rulers to release all “arbitrarily detained” prisoners, including Suu Kyi, and to restore democratic institutions.

The resolution asks all parties to “respect human rights, fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law.” It also encourages opposing parties to talk to each other and make peace.

The resolution is “an important step that emphasizes the urgency for strengthened international unity,” according to Dujarric.

According to the spokesman, Noeleen Heyzer, the United Nations special envoy for Myanmar, will work closely with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to implement the Security Council’s call to “engage intensively with all relevant parties in Myanmar to achieve an end to the violence and to support a return to democracy.” On January 1, Indonesia took over as ASEAN chair from Cambodia.

“The U.N. is committed to remaining in Myanmar and addressing the multiple vulnerabilities that have arisen due to the military’s actions since February 2021,” Dujarric said, urging unrestricted access to all affected communities.

“The secretary-general reiterates his call for neighboring countries and other member states to urge Myanmar’s military leadership to respect the will and needs of the people and adhere to democratic norms,” a United Nations spokesman said.

SOURCE – (AP)