NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

On 31 March 2021, the UN Security Council held closed consultations to address the current situation in Myanmar. Council members expressed ‘deep concern at the rapidly deteriorating situation’ and reiterated their ‘call on the military to exercise utmost restraint’ and ‘the need to respect human rights’.

Both senior UN officials condemn ‘systematic’ attacks on peaceful protestors and flag international responsibility to protect the people from atrocity crimes. They called for an end to systemic impunity in Myanmar: ‘we must ensure accountability for past crimes and deter the most serious international crimes from being committed’.

The SAC-M condemned the Myanmar military as an organization engaging in terrorism, marking its Armed Forces Day with a barbaric massacre. The Council called on the UN Security Council to lead a global three cuts strategy to ‘cut the weapons, cut the cash, cut the impunity’, which can be implemented through a comprehensive arms embargo and targeted financial sanctions.

The UN Secretary-General in this statement condemned ‘in the strongest terms the killing of dozens of civilians, including children and young people, by security forces in Myanmar today’. He reiterated his urgent appeal to the military to refrain from violence and repression, and the need for accountability for those responsible for serious human rights violations in the country.

On 24 March 2021, the Human Rights Council passed a resolution on the situation in Myanmar. Notably, the Council condemned the arbitrary detention of various government officials and civilians and disproportionate use of force by the military against peaceful demonstrators. The Council also reiterated the need to ensure accountability for violations of international law, including for potential crimes committed against the Rohingya, and encouraged business enterprises in Myanmar to refrain from trading with or investing in businesses with ties to Myanmar’s security forces.