UNITED NATIONS (PA) – UN ambassador to Myanmar strongly opposes military coup in his country and calls for “strongest possible action by the international community” to restore democracy immediately in a dramatic speech to the General Assembly on Friday of the UN, which drew loud applause from many diplomats in the global corps of 193 nations.
Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun began his statement by saying that he represented Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy, the “civilian government elected by the people” in November, and supported their fight for the end of military rule.
He urged all countries to issue public statements strongly condemning the military coup and refusing to recognize the military regime and urging leaders to respect the free and fair November elections won by Suu Kyi’s NLD party. He also called for stronger international measures to stop the violence of security forces against peaceful protesters.
“It is time for the military to immediately relinquish power and release those detained,” Tun said, agreeing with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that “the military coup is not acceptable in this modern world.” that the coup must end. “
“We will continue to fight for a government that belongs to the people, to the people, to the people,” he promised.
Tun’s surprise statement drew not only applause but also congratulations from speaker to speaker at the meeting, including ambassadors representing the European Union, the Organization for Islamic Cooperation and the new US ambassador, Linda Thomas Greenfield, who joined the others in describing -using words including “brave”, “mighty” and “brave”.
In her first appearance at the assembly since presenting her credentials to Guterres on Thursday, Thomas-Greenfield said the United States was “showing solidarity” with the people of Myanmar who are on the streets protesting the coup. And he reiterated President Joe Biden’s warning that “we will show the military that their actions have consequences” and we will ask the military to “immediately relinquish power.”
In a later tweet, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken referred to Myanmar by his former name Burma and said that “the United States praises Ambassador Tun’s courageous and clear statement”, “and those in Burma who they make their voices heard. We must all pay attention to their call for the restoration of democracy in Burma. ”
The assembly was convened to hear a briefing by UN Special Envoy for Myanmar Christine Schraner Burgener, who said it was time to “sound the alarm” about the coup and the military pushing democratic processes aside. violating the constitution, reversal and reforms instituted by Suu Kyi, who was previously the de facto head of government, and arrested peaceful protesters, civil society representatives and members of the media.
She emphasized restrictions on internet and communications services and the detention of some 700 people, according to the Myanmar Association of Political Prisoners’ Assistance, and considered that “the use of lethal force and the increase in deaths are unacceptable”.
The huge protests in the country do not refer to a fight between Suu Kyi’s NLD party and the army, she said, “it is a fight without weapons.”
Addressing diplomats in the General Assembly chamber via video link, Schraner Burgener urged “everyone to collectively send a clear signal in support of democracy in Myanmar.”
The military takeover of Myanmar on 1 February shocked the international community and reversed years of slow progress towards democracy. Suu Kyi’s party was reportedly installed for a second five-year term that day, but the military blocked parliament from convening and detained President Win Myint and other top members of her government.
Myanmar’s military says it has taken power since last November’s elections were marked by widespread voting irregularities, a claim that has been refuted by the state election commission, whose members have since been replaced by the governing board. . The junta said it would rule for a year in a state of emergency and then hold new polls.
Schraner Burgener told the General Assembly that “democratically elected representatives could be sworn in according to the February 4 constitution and formed the Committee representing Pyidaungu Hluttaw known as the CRPH” and sought to “respect their obligations to serve the people who voted for them.” ”
Tun, the ambassador of Myanmar, began his remarks by reading a CRPH statement underlining the legitimacy of the election results, saying the military overthrew the democratically elected government, invoking massive opposition from the people and stressing that war and crimes against humanity committed by the Myanmar army. ”
CRPH, saying it represents about 80 lawmakers, called on the UN, the Security Council and the international community “to aspire to build a peaceful and civilized global society to use whatever means necessary to take action against the Myanmar army and provide security.” and security for the people of Myanmar. ”
China’s UN Ambassador Zhang Jun, whose neighboring country has invested billions of dollars in Myanmar and is its largest trading partner, called on all parties to manage differences through dialogue “within the constitutional and legal framework” to avoid violence. and continue to promote the process of internal democratic transformation in an orderly manner. ”
He never mentioned the army or a coup and did not describe what happened in Myanmar as “essentially Myanmar’s internal affairs”, he said the international community should help the parties “put their differences and solve the problems ”.
Zhang supported the efforts of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which includes Myanmar, which has 10 members, “playing an active role in relaxing the current state of affairs.” The ASEAN countries are discussing an informal meeting of foreign ministers and “look forward to its early convening on the basis of consensus, thus providing a useful platform and opportunity to promote problem-solving,” he said.