Nava Thakuria
Over 450 civil society groups of Myanmar came out with a public statement condemning China’s position at the UN Security Council (UNSC), failing to take action against the Myanmar military rulers after they killed and injured hundreds of civilians protesting against the coup.
“We reiterate our deep disappointment at the lack of concrete action by the UNSC, despite the gravity and escalation of the atrocities committed by the Myanmar military (popularly known as Tatmadow) since the coup on 1 February 2021,” said the statement adding that despite repeated and vehement calls by them to take swift action against the brutal military regime, the UNSC was stymied by Beijing’s interventions.
Mentionable is that the UNSC held a closed-door meeting on 31 March following the request of THE United Kingdom after a weekend of deadly violence committed by the junta. Around 15 council members reiterated its previous call to the Myanmar junta ‘to exercise utmost restraint’ and the council’s ‘readiness to consider further steps’. But China repeatedly intervened at the UNSC along with other UN platforms to block actions against the junta, whom Beijing relies on for its own interests in the region.
Myanmar, bordering India, Bangladesh, China and Thailand, is presently witnessing a bloodbath where over 540 civilians including women and children were killed by the security forces for their peaceful protest and demonstrations across the country. On a single day (27 March), when top military generals including the Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing celebrated Armed Forces Day in the backdrop of a day-long public protest, 140 persons were killed by the security forces.
But that has not deterred the people from participating in demonstrations hitting various parts of Myanmar following the call of the Civil Disobedience Movement by the detained National League for Democracy (NLD) chief Aung San Suu Kyi to oppose the military junta, who claimed they overthrew the government due to alleged election fraud.
Meanwhile, a large number of democratic activists, reporters, photojournalists, and camera persons have been targeted by the junta because of the ongoing pubic unrest.
“Despite this, the UNSC has yet to take any concrete action barring two mealy-mouthed statements – paralyzed by China’s continuing moves to block any concrete action. This is a total abdication of responsibility for which the people of Myanmar continue to suffer as a result. The events in Myanmar have resonance globally and reflect patterns of a growing authoritarianism, fascism, and impunity. They are a threat to regional and world peace and must not be further ignored,” according to the statement.
Realising the fact that the Burmese people have totally rejected the military coup and its violence, risking life and limb every day for peace and security, the UNSC must act in support of their bravery, asserted the organisations, adding that the world community should consider urgently imposing a coordinated, global arms embargo on Myanmar, referring it to the International Criminal Court to hold the military regime accountable for the crimes, and if the necessity arises, calling on the UN General Assembly to exercise its power to act in protecting the civilian populace.
