The Human Rights Council, the top human rights body of the United Nations, has passed a resolution condemning abuses of fundamental freedoms in Myanmar.
The resolution, which was adopted without a vote at the 47-member council in Geneva on Wednesday, is in response to ongoing concerns over the human rights situation in Myanmar.
The European Union (EU) is the main sponsor of the resolution.
Speaking on behalf of the EU, the permanent representative of Portugal to the UN in Geneva, Rui Macieira, said the Myanmar junta must be held accountable for the abuses of human rights.
Meanwhile, Tom Andrews, UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, said on Thursday that the international response to the military coup in Myanmar was not enough to prevent a deepening crisis.
Introducing the resolution on Myanmar, he maintained that the country’s de-facto rulers had “increased (their) brutal repression and must be held to account.”
“They must stop the use of force and allow the population to exercise their rights. The EU calls on the military authorities to end the state of emergency and martial law and to restore the elected civilian government. We call for the release of President Win Myint, State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and those arbitrarily detained,” he added.
The 11-page document also promises continuing support for the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar, previously established by the Human Rights Council, to collect, consolidate, preserve and analyze evidence of the most serious international crimes and violations of international law committed in Myanmar since 2011, particularly in Chin, Kachin, Kayin, Rakhine and Shan states, with a view to a future prosecution.
Dismissing the resolution and a possible future prosecution by the International Criminal Court, Myanmar Deputy Foreign Minister Kyaw Myo Htut said his government strongly rejected any measure which could lead Myanmar to the international judicial system and any judgment that could erode the ongoing domestic judicial mechanisms.
“Our position is utterly clear relating to ICC as it shall not exercise the jurisdiction over Myanmar, a non-state party to Rome Statute,” he said.
UN special rapporteur calls for emergency summit
UN Special Rapporteur on Myanmar Tom Andrews warned that the pace and scope of the international response to the military coup in Myanmar was falling short of what is required to head off a deepening crisis.
He called on UN member states, including those in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), the European Union, the United States and China, to hold an emergency summit of all stakeholders, including the duly elected illegally deposed parliamentarians who make up the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (CRPH).
Pyidaungsu Hluttaw is the Assembly of the Union, the bicameral legislature of Myanmar.
“Conditions in Myanmar are deteriorating, but they will likely get much worse without an immediate robust, international response in support of those under siege,” said Andrews.
“It is imperative that the international community heed the recent call of UN Secretary-General António Guterres for a ‘firm, unified international response’,” he said.
“To date, however, the limited sanctions imposed by member states do not cut the junta’s access to revenue that helps sustain its illegal activities, and the slow pace of diplomacy is out of step with the scale of the crisis.
“The incremental approach to sanctions has left the most lucrative business assets of the junta unscathed. It needs to be replaced by robust action that includes a diplomatic offensive designed to meet the moment,” said the expert.
Andrews stressed that he is receiving reports indicating that the situation in Myanmar is in danger of spiralling further out of control and warned of a dramatic increase in loss of life.
