New York/Yangon: Violence in Myanmar including the recent burning of villages, illustrates the sharp deterioration of the human rights environment in Myanmar. The Government forces burned down villages in Kin Ma in Magway region on 15 June, 2021.
“Reports that the junta has burned down an entire village in Magway, killing elderly residents, demonstrate once again that the military continues to commit terrible crimes and has no regard for the people of #Myanmar.”
Dan Chugg, British Ambassador pic.twitter.com/Rho9xbqJ8w— National Unity Government Myanmar (@NUGMyanmar) June 16, 2021
At the United Nations in New York, Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General, said today: “I can tell you that the Secretary-General is deeply concerned and disturbed by these reports which remind us of the systematic burning of villages in north Rakhine State, which we saw in the past and which led to the dramatic exodus of the Rohingya people. The Secretary-General continues to strongly condemn the continued repression by the security forces against civilians across the country, which again is having major regional ramifications and requires a unified international response.”
In addition to the burned villages, there have also been discovery of two mass graves in Myawaddy Township in Kayin State which contained the remains of 25 people who were reportedly detained on May 31, 2021 by the Karen National Defence Organization.
“We once again call on all involved in the current crisis to ensure that international human rights norms and standards are respected. This includes minimizing harm to civilians and to civilian infrastructure, as well as prohibiting collective punishment against communities, families or individuals. We also call for those responsible for human rights violations to be held accountable,” Dujarric said.
Also read: Further bloodshed and suffering unfolding in Myanmar, warns UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
On Myanmar, a private meeting by the Security Council is scheduled tomorrow. During that meeting, the Secretary‑General’s Special Envoy, Christine Schraner Burgener, will brief the Council members.
To a question whether in view of burning of villages and discovery of mass graves the fundamental strategy of the UN was changing, Dujarric said:The goals remain the same. The strategy… the main point of the strategy is really a unified voice in response to the tragic trajectory we have seen in Myanmar since 1 February…We hope that the international community continues to speak with a single voice on this, as well as to engage with the authorities in Myanmar and trying to restore basic freedoms, right, the freedom to be alive, the freedom not to have your village burned down, the freedom to have journalists not in prison, the freedom to have doctors not harassed, all of this, but this demands a communal effort.”
There are questions being raised in certain quarters on whether or not to impose an arms embargo or some kind of weapon transfer restrictions to the Myanmar junta. The UN has to take a formal position on this demand. Dujarric said, “Well, what we’ve always said is that sanctions imposed by the Security Council need to be targeted, and they need to be targeted to those who hold the power, and they need to be targeted in order for them not to inflict more pain on those who don’t hold the power, and that continues to be our position.”
– global bihari bureau
