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Geneva: Welcoming a call by over 200 civil society organizations to impose an arms embargo on Myanmar’s military junta, the United Nations’ Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, Tom Andrews, today encouraged States to take their own actions immediately.
Andrews said he was currently updating a list of States that have established arms embargoes against Myanmar. In his March report* to the Human Rights Council, he identified those nations that had already established arms embargoes against Myanmar.
“It is my hope that those who have yet to impose an arms embargo will do so in light of the horror that the Myanmar military continues to inflict on its citizens every day. I intend to publish this updated list next month,” he said.
The Special Rapporteur described stopping the flow of weapons and dual-use weapons technology into the hands of the military junta of Myanmar as literally a matter of life and death. “There is no time to lose,” said Andrews, while applauding the efforts of more than 200 organisations to bring this to the attention of the UN Security Council. Action to stop the flow of deadly weapons into the hands of those who are using them to massacre their own people is needed now, he stressed. He urged governments who support cutting the flow of weapons to a brutal military junta to consider immediately establishing their own arms embargo against Myanmar while simultaneously encouraging UN Security Council action. Bilateral arms embargoes should encompass weapons and dual-use technology, including surveillance equipment, he said. “Together, they will represent an important step forward to literally taking guns out of the hands of those killing innocent men, women and children.”
In addition, he also urged organizations and advocates who have called for UN Security Council action to simultaneously urge governments to impose their own arms embargo. “They can begin by carefully reviewing the list of nations who have established arms embargoes, and reach out to those who have yet to do so,” he said.
– global bihari bureau
