UNITED NATIONS (AP) – Myanmar’s UN Ambassador 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 which received loud applause from many diplomats in the global body of 193 countries.
Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun began his statement by saying that in November he represented Aung San Suu Kyi’s “civilian government elected by the people”, and supported their fight for the end of military rule.
He called on all countries to issue public statements strongly condemning the February 1 coup, and to refuse to recognize the military regime and ask its leaders to hold the free and fair elections in November that Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party won, to respect. He also called for stronger international measures to stop violence by 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 military coup “is not acceptable in this modern world. and that the coup should stop. ‘
“We will continue to fight for a government of the people, by the people, for the people,” he promised.
His voice cracked, he ended his statement by addressing people at home in Burmese and lifting a three-finger salute accepted by the anti-coup movement.
Tun’s surprise statement not only drew applause, but also praised speaker after speaker at the meeting, including ambassadors representing the European Union, the Organization for Islamic Cooperation and the new US ambassador, Linda Thomas Greenfield. She, along with others, described the speech as ‘courageous’, ‘powerful’ and ‘brave’.
During her first appearance at the meeting, since handing over her credentials to Guterres on Thursday, Thomas-Greenfield said the United States was “in solidarity” with the people of Myanmar protesting in the streets against the coup. And she reiterated President Joe Biden’s warning that “we will show the military that their actions have consequences” and demand that the military “immediately relinquish power.”
In a tweet later, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken referred to Myanmar with his former name Burma and said “the United States praises the courageous and clear statement ‘of Ambassador Tun,’ and by those in Burma who thicken their voices make. We must all heed their call to restore democracy in Burma. ”
The meeting was called to hear an information session of the UN’s special envoy for Myanmar, Christine Schraner Burgener, who said it was time to ‘sound the alarm’ about the coup and the army pushing aside democratic processes, the violate the constitution and reverse the reforms that have been introduced. by Suu Kyi, and arrests peaceful protesters, civil society representatives and members of the media.
According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners in Myanmar, she pointed to the restrictions on Internet and communications services and the detention of about 700 people, calling the use of lethal force and increasing deaths unacceptable.
The major protests in the country are not about a fight between Suu Kyi’s party and the military, she said, “it is a fight without weapons.”
Addressing diplomats in the General Assembly Chamber via a video link, Schraner Burgener insists that “together you will send a clear signal in support of democracy in Myanmar.”
The military takeover in Myanmar shocked the international community and reversed years of slow progress towards democracy. Suu Kyi’s party would have been set up for a second term of five years that day, but the military blocked parliament from meeting her and arresting her, President Win Myint and other top members of her government.
Myanmar’s army says it has taken power because the November election was marked by widespread voting irregularities, a claim refuted by the Electoral Commission, whose members have since been replaced by the ruling junta. The junta said it would rule in a state of emergency for a year and then hold new polls.
Schraner Burgener told the General Assembly that democratically elected representatives could swear by the constitution on February 4 and that they had formed the Committee representing Pyidaungu Hluttaw (National Assembly), known as CRPH, and an effort to uphold theirs. obligations to serve the people who voted for them. ”
Tun begins his remarks by reading a statement from CRPH emphasizing the legitimacy of the election results and declaring that the military is overthrowing the democratically elected government. He cites the massive opposition by the people and says: “This is not the time for the international community to tolerate the war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the military in Myanmar.”
The CRPH said it represented about 80 members of parliament, and asked the UN, the Security Council and the international community ‘who want to build a peaceful and civilized global society to use the necessary means to act against the Myanmar army and to provide safety and security. for the people of Myanmar. ”
China’s UN Ambassador Zhang Jun, whose neighbor has invested billions of dollars in Myanmar and is his largest trading partner, called on all parties to address differences through a ‘constitutional and legal framework’ dialogue. “avoid violence,” and continue to order the domestic democratic transformation process. ”
He never mentioned the military or a coup and described what happened in Myanmar as ‘essentially Myanmar’s internal affairs’, but said the international community should help the parties bridge their differences and resolve issues. .
Zhang supports the efforts of the ten-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, to which Myanmar belongs, “to play an active role in facilitating the current state of affairs.”
ASEAN countries are discussing an informal meeting of foreign ministers and ‘we are looking forward to its early meeting by consensus, thus providing a useful platform and opportunity to promote problem solving’, he said.