[The ambassador expressed his gratitude for the vote but also his disappointment that it took “almost three months to adopt this watered-down resolution.” He said the resolution did not include arms embargoes, adding that the military is killing civilians with heavy artillery, most of which is imported.]
By Adam Taylor
The move comes after calls for more
aggressive action from diplomat Kyaw Moe Tun, who is still recognized by the
United Nations as Myanmar’s ambassador, although he was pushed out and charged
with treason by his country’s military leaders for refusing to side with the
junta that took power in a coup this year.
Tun was present Friday, casting
Myanmar’s vote in favor of the resolution condemning the coup leaders.
[Myanmar’s
military junta puts ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi on trial]
The resolution calls on the Myanmar
military to respect democratic election results and release political
detainees.
The resolution was introduced by
Liechtenstein, whose representative warned that there is a “real and present
danger of a full-fledged civil war” in Myanmar.
The resolution was adopted after a
vote of 119 in favor and 36 abstentions. One country, Belarus, voted against
the resolution, citing its “politicized” nature.
Though Myanmar might typically be
expected to vote against such a measure, Tun’s ongoing role as a representative
of the elected civilian government means Myanmar’s recognized diplomats are
calling for sanctions against their own country.
[Myanmar
ambassador in London locked out of embassy after speaking out against military]
After the vote, Tun reemphasized
his desire for the United Nations and the international community to take the
“strongest and most decisive action against the military.”
The ambassador expressed his
gratitude for the vote but also his disappointment that it took “almost three
months to adopt this watered-down resolution.” He said the resolution did not
include arms embargoes, adding that the military is killing civilians with
heavy artillery, most of which is imported.
“Selling weapons to the murderous
military can be construed … to aid and abet the military to commit serious
crimes such as crimes against humanity, ethnic cleansing, war crimes and
genocide,” Tun said.
Several representatives — including
from Bangladesh, Egypt and Iran — said the resolution did not go far enough in
comprehensively addressing the root causes of the Rohingya crisis, and
abstained.
Others, including Russia, Belarus
and China, condemned the “country-specific” nature of the resolution. The representative
from Russia said the General Assembly vote blurs lines between U.N. organs.
“Myanmar’s current issues represent
a twist and turn in its political transition process. Essentially, it is a
domestic issue,” said Geng Shuang, China’s deputy permanent representative to
the United Nations. “History has shown that external blind pressurization or
imposition of sanctions on Myanmar is not only ineffective but, quite on the
contrary, may aggravate the issue.”
The U.N. Security Council was also
set to hold informal talks on the situation in Myanmar on Friday.
At a meeting of the Security
Council in April, Tun proposed not only imposing an arms embargo but targeting
bank accounts held by military leaders and establishing a no-fly zone over the
country.
[Family
members, U.S. officials press Myanmar for release of detained journalist Danny
Fenster]
While any resolution that passes
the General Assembly is nonbinding, it can serve as a politically significant
indication of global disapproval.
Though the 15-member Security
Council has more power than the General Assembly, China, a permanent member and
one of the Myanmar military’s few international allies, can exercise veto power
there.
