UNITED NATIONS (AP) – Myanmar’s ambassador to the UN strongly opposed the military coup in his country and called for “the strongest possible action by the international community” to immediately restore democracy in a dramatic speech at the UN General Assembly on Friday fair that drew applause from many diplomats in the global body of 193 nations.
Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun began his statement by saying that he represented the National League for Democracy of Aung San Suu Kyi, “civil government elected by the people”, in November, and supported his struggle to end the military regime.
He urged all countries to make public statements strongly condemning the military coup, refusing to recognize the military regime and asking its leaders to respect the November free and fair elections won by Suu Kyi’s NLD party. He also called for international measures stronger efforts to end the violence of security forces against peaceful protesters.
“It is time for the military to immediately renounce power and release detainees,” said Tun, agreeing with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, “that a military coup is not acceptable in this modern world and that the coup must cease.”
“We will continue to fight for a government that belongs to the people, by the people, for the people,” he promised.
Tun’s surprise statement not only drew applause but praise from speaker to speaker at the assembly meeting, including ambassadors representing the European Union, the Organization for Islamic Cooperation and the new US ambassador, Linda Thomas Greenfield, who joined others in the description using words like “brave,” “Mighty” and “brave”.
In his first appearance at the assembly since presenting his credentials to Guterres on Thursday, Thomas-Greenfield said the United States “sympathizes” with the people of Myanmar who are on the streets protesting the coup. And she reiterated President Joe Biden’s warning that “we will show the military that their actions have consequences” and will demand that the military “immediately step down from power”.
In a later tweet, United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken referred to Myanmar by his former name Burma and said that “the United States praises Ambassador Tun’s bold and clear statement” and those in Burma. who are making their voice heard. We must all respond to his call to restore democracy in Burma. ”
The assembly meeting was called to hear a briefing from the UN special envoy to 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, twists and turns instituted by Suu Kyi, who was previously the de facto head of government, and arresting peaceful protesters, civil society representatives and members of the media.
She pointed to restrictions on the internet and communication services and the detention of around 700 people, according to the Association of Assistance for Political Prisoners in Myanmar and called “the use of lethal force and the increase in the number of unacceptable deaths”.
The huge protests in the country are not about a fight between Suu Kyi’s NLD party and the military, she said, “it’s a fight without weapons”.
Addressing diplomats in the Chamber of the General Assembly through a video link, Schraner Burgener urged “all of you to collectively send a clear signal of support for democracy in Myanmar”.
The military takeover of February 1 in Myanmar shocked the international community and reversed years of slow progress towards democracy. Suu Kyi’s party was said to have been installed for a second five-year term that day, but the army prevented Parliament from meeting and detained it, President Win Myint and other important members of his government.
Myanmar’s military says it took power because last November’s election was marked by widespread voting irregularities, a statement that has been refuted by the state electoral commission, whose members have been replaced by the governing board. The board said it would rule for a year in a state of emergency and then hold new elections.
Schraner Burgener told the General Assembly that “democratically elected representatives were able to take office under the constitution on February 4 and formed the Pyidaungu Hluttaw Representative Committee known as CRPH” and are seeking “to fulfill their obligations to serve the people who voted on them. “
Myanmar ambassador Tun began his comments to the assembly by reading a statement from the CRPH emphasizing the legitimacy of the election results, declaring that the military overthrew the democratically elected government, citing the massive opposition of the people and emphasizing that “now is not the time for the international community to tolerate war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the Myanmar military. ”
CRPH, saying it represented around 80 parliamentarians, asked the UN, the Security Council and the international community “who aspire to build a peaceful and civilized global society to use all means necessary to act against the military in Myanmar and provide protection and security for the people of Myanmar. “
China’s Ambassador to the UN, Zhang Jun, whose neighboring country has invested billions of dollars in Myanmar and is its largest trading partner, urged all parties to address differences through dialogue “under the constitutional and legal framework”, to avoid violence “and continue to promote the process of domestic democratic transformation in an orderly manner.”
Never mentioning the military or a coup and describing what happened in Myanmar as “essentially Myanmar’s internal affairs”, he said the international community must help the parties “overcome their differences and resolve problems”
Zhang supported the efforts of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, to which Myanmar belongs, “playing an active role in improving the current situation.” ASEAN countries are discussing the holding of an informal meeting of foreign ministers and “we look forward to your early convocation based on consensus, thus providing a useful platform and opportunity to promote problem solving,” he said.