A protester holds up a poster featuring deposed civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi during a demonstration against the military coup in front of the Central Bank of Myanmar in Yangon on Feb. 15, 2021. (Photo: AFP)
United Nations secretary-general Antonio Guterres has called on the international community to stand in solidarity with the people of Myanmar.
“The secretary-general stands in solidarity with the people of Myanmar and their democratic aspirations for an inclusive society and the protection of all communities, including the Rohingya,” said a statement issued by his spokesperson on Jan. 30.
Feb. 1 will mark one year since Myanmar’s military overturned a democratically elected civilian government as the human rights and humanitarian crises continue to deepen in the conflict-ridden Southeast Asian country.
According to the UN statement, the secretary-general's special envoy Noeleen Heyzer has been engaging all stakeholders in support of a Myanmar-led process.
"She will continue to mobilize immediate action, including through strengthened cooperation between the UN and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to address the desperate needs of the people of Myanmar," said the UN chief's statement.
The statement described the multiple crises which have resulted in an intensification of violence, human rights violations, rising poverty and indifference to worsening humanitarian conditions by the military regime.
Any solution needs to derive from engaging directly with and listening carefully to all those affected by the ongoing crisis. Their voices must be heard and amplified
“Humanitarian access to people in need is critically important for the United Nations and partners to continue to deliver on the ground. The multiple vulnerabilities of all people across Myanmar and its regional implications require an urgent response,” the UN chief stressed.
Guterres added that “any solution needs to derive from engaging directly with and listening carefully to all those affected by the ongoing crisis. Their voices must be heard and amplified.”
UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet also appealed to the international community to intensify pressure on Myanmar’s military to stop its campaign of violence against citizens and to insist on the prompt return to civilian rule.
Bachelet described the international response so far as being “ineffectual” due to a lack of a sense of urgency commensurate with the magnitude of the crisis.
The military coup toppled Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government and sent the Southeast Asian country into political turmoil, abruptly ending a 10-year experiment with democracy.
It also triggered nationwide peaceful protests which turned into armed resistance following the military’s brutal crackdown on protesters.
The junta is struggling to gain international recognition while it faces an unexpected challenge from newly emerged people’s defense forces in several townships and villages.
At least 1,500 people have been killed by the military in a brutal effort to crush dissent and 11,787 people have been arbitrarily detained.
Myanmar lost about 1.6 million jobs in 2021 amid the combined shocks of the Covid-10 pandemic and military coup, according to an International Labor Organization report.
Agriculture, construction, garment making, tourism and hospitality were among the industries hardest hit by the aftermath of the coup, losing 27-31 percent of all jobs.
The UN agency said farmers were also severely affected by “armed conflict, violence and insecurity, leading to displacement and undermining livelihoods.”
