Coup in Myanmar: Calls grow louder for UN sanctions
The United Nations human rights investigator for Myanmar yesterday urged the UN Security Council to consider imposing sanctions and arms embargoes, as 300 elected Myanmar lawmakers urged investigations into the military's seizure of power.
The United States, which imposed its own sanctions on Thursday, took the floor at the Human Rights Council to urge other UN member states to follow suit.
Meanwhile, supporters of ousted Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi clashed with police yesterday as hundreds of thousands joined nationwide pro-democracy demonstrations in defiance of the junta's call to halt mass gatherings.
More than 350 officials, activists, journalists, monks and students have been detained, said Nada al-Nashif, deputy UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
UN Special Rapporteur Thomas Andrews said there were "growing reports and photographic evidence" that security forces had used live ammunition against protesters since seizing power almost two weeks ago.
"Security Council resolutions dealing with similar situations have mandated sanctions, arms embargoes, and travel bans, and calling for judicial action at the International Criminal Court or ad hoc tribunals," he told the Council. "All of these options should be on the table."
The 47-member forum met at the request of Britain and the European Union to consider a resolution calling for the release of ousted Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi, and for UN monitors to be allowed to visit.
300 MPS URGE UN TO PROBE RIGHTS ABUSES
The elected Myanmar parliamentarians called for UN investigations into the "gross human rights violations" that they said the military had committed since its coup, including arrests.
In a letter read out by Britain's ambassador Julian Braithwaite, they said: "The military also shot people protesting, invaded the ruling party's offices, confiscated documents, records, and property."
They said a telecommunications bill being prepared by the junta was intended to restrict access to the Internet and mobile services.
US Chargé d'Affaires Mark Cassayre said: "We ask all Council members to join the United States and others to ... join us in promoting accountability for those responsible for the coup, including through targeted sanctions."
But China and Russia - which have close ties to Myanmar's military - said they opposed holding the session at all.
"What happened in Myanmar is essentially Myanmar's internal affairs," said Chen Xu, China's ambassador.
Russian ambassador Gennady Gatilov said: "Attempts to whip up hype around the situation in Myanmar need to cease."
VIOLENT CLASHES
Yesterday's mostly peaceful protests were the biggest so far.
Three people were wounded when police fired rubber bullets to break up a crowd of tens of thousands in the southeastern city of Mawlamyine, a Myanmar Red Cross official told Reuters.
Footage broadcast by Radio Free Asia showed police charging at protesters, grabbing one and smashing him in the head. Stones were then thrown at police before the shots were fired.
"Three got shot – one woman in the womb, one man on his cheek and one man on his arm," said Myanmar Red Cross official Kyaw Myint, who witnessed the clash.
In the biggest city Yangon, hundreds of doctors in white duty coats and scrubs marched past the golden Shwedagon pagoda, the country's holiest Buddhist site, while in another part of town, football fans wearing team kits marched with humorous placards denouncing the military.
Other demonstrations took place in Naypyitaw, the coastal town of Dawei, and in Myitkyina, the capital of northern Kachin state, where young men played rap music and staged a dance-off.
Social media giant Facebook said it would cut the visibility of content run by Myanmar's military, saying they had "continued to spread misinformation" after seizing power.
US SANCTIONS
The protests came a day after US President Joe Biden announced imposing sanctions that would prevent the generals who engineered a coup in Myanmar on February 1 from gaining access to $1 billion in funds their government keeps in the US.
He threatened additional sanctions, and demanded that the generals restore democracy and release Aung San Suu Kyi, the nation's civilian leader, whose party won the national elections in November.
The military took power through coup, alleging massive vote fraudulence. The generals said they are taking control of the country for one year and promised to hand over power after elections. No date has yet been set for elections.
Meanwhile, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) on Thursday said it is immediately redirecting $42.2 million of assistance away from work that would have benefited Myanmar's government after conducting a review of its programs following the coup in the country.
"Rather than supporting the military, we will redirect these funds to support and strengthen civil society," the aid agency said in a statement, adding that it will continue to support the people of Myanmar with approximately $69 million in bilateral programs.
The junta remitted the sentences of more than 23,000 prisoners yesterday, saying the move was consistent with "establishing a new democratic state with peace, development and discipline" and would "please the public".