General Assembly Informal Briefing on Myanmar

Informal meeting of the General Assembly hears a briefing by the Special Envoy pursuant to operative paragraph 21 (c) of General Assembly resolution A/RES/75/238.

• Categories: Meetings & Events / General Assembly
• Video Length: 02:54:41
• Production Date: 26 February 2021
• Asset Language: Arabic; Chinese; English; French; Russian; Spanish
• Personal Subject: CHRISTINE SCHRANER BURGENER; VOLKAN BOZKIR
• Subject Topical: COUPS D'ETAT; CORONAVIRUS DISEASE - COVID 19; DEMOCRACY; HUMAN RIGHTS
• Geographic Subject: MYANMAR
• MAMS Id: 2605173
• Parent Id: 2604734

Description

As the democratically elected leader of Myanmar, State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is still in detention following the military takeover that triggered country-wide protests, violence and arrests, the UN envoy for the country observed on Friday, declaring that “democratic processes have been pushed aside”.

Speaking at an informal General Assembly meeting on the Myanmar crisis, Special Envoy Christine Schraner Burgener said, “I told you in 2019 that I would sound the alarm if necessary…This is now the case”.

The situation in Myanmar is “fragile and fluid”, the UN envoy said, calling it “a people’s fight without arms”.

Ms. Schraner Burgener strongly condemned the military’s “recent steps” and urged the Ambassadors to “collectively send a clear signal” supporting democracy.

She underscored the urgency in helping to lay the foundations of a “pluralistic democracy”, balanced with the complex domestic challenges of the civilian leadership.

“I have tried again and again to explain the complex situation, namely that the army holds the real power”, the UN envoy said. “Genuine democracy requires civilian control over the military”.

Responding to the envoy, Myanmar's Ambassador to the UN, Kyaw Moe Tun, announced that he was representing not the military leadership, but the NLD, saying he was speaking instead, for the democratically-elected parliamentarians of the country.

Denouncing the coup, he said that the continued and strong support for the people, was "imperative", and appealed for all Member States and the UN, to condemn the takeover, and take "all strongest possible measures to stop the violent and brutal acts committed by the security forces against peaceful demonstrators, and end the military coup immediately".

His voice breaking in the General Assembly Hall, he gave the three-fingered salute adopted by protesters in Myanmar.

Ms. Schraner Burgener urged influential Member States to step up, saying they have “a collective responsibility towards the people of Myanmar and safeguard their democratic aspirations”.

“Clearly, regional engagement is needed on all fronts”.

If there is any escalation in terms of military brutality against people exercising their basic rights, “let us act swiftly and collectively”, the UN envoy said.

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