UNITED NATIONS — Britain has circulated a wide-ranging United Nations resolution on Burma urging renewed peace efforts, condemning attacks on civilians – particularly by the Myanmar military – and calling for an end to the illegal arms trade.
The draft resolution, obtained by The Associated Press on Tuesday, expresses “alarm over the Increasing violence across Myanmarwhich is embroiled in a civil war between the military-led regime and resistance groups.
It calls for “safe, rapid and unhindered humanitarian access on a large scale”, expressing “grave concern” over the deteriorating humanitarian situation and restrictions on humanitarian access in the country, which have led to increasing food insecurity and hunger.
The proposed resolution warns that the current situation encourages discrimination, ethnically motivated violence, violations of international humanitarian lawhuman rights violations and conflict-related sexual violence.
Myanmar’s military has overthrown the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi on February 1, 2021. It was the day that parliament was due to reconvene after November 2020 elections, which her National League for Democracy party won by a landslide — a result the military claims without evidence was based on fraud. Suu Kyi and her party members remain in detention.
The takeover was met with massive resistance from the population, which has now developed into armed resistance and a civil war.
The The military regime now faces its greatest challenge of the ethnic minority militias and the People’s Defense Forces that support the main opposition and large areas of territory conquered in heavy fighting in recent months.
The draft resolution emphasizes the central role of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the 10-nation bloc whose 2021 peace plan has so far been rejected by Myanmar’s generals. It calls for an immediate end to violence and dialogue between warring parties. mediated through an ASEAN envoy.
The draft resolution urges renewed efforts by ASEAN Special Envoy for Myanmar, Alounkeo Kittikhoun, and the new UN Special Envoy, Julie Bishop, “to engage all relevant stakeholders in seeking a peaceful, inclusive solution to the crisis in Myanmar.”
Negotiations in the Security Council on the draft resolution are expected to be tough.
The 15-member council passed its first-ever resolution on Myanmar in December 2022 by a 12-0 vote with three abstentions: Russia, China and India, all of which have ties to the Myanmar regime. India’s two-year term on the council ended that month, but Russia and China have veto power over permanent members of the council.
The proposed design requires full implementation of the Resolution December 2022demanding an immediate end to violence in the Southeast Asian country and calling on military leaders to release all “arbitrarily held” prisoners, including Suu Kyi, and restore democratic institutions.
It also called on warring parties in the country to pursue dialogue and reconciliation and urged all parties to “respect human rights, fundamental freedoms and the rule of law.”