EU CALLS FOR END TO VIOLENCE IN MYANMAR; THREATENS MORE SANCTIONS

Mon 29 March 2021:

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has condemned the Myanmar security forces’ response to the Saturday anti-government protests that reportedly left dozens of people dead.

I am following the worrying events in Myanmar. The escalation of violence with more than 100 civilian killings perpetrated by the military against its own people on its ‘Armed Forces Day’ is unacceptable. Far from celebrating, the Myanmar military has made yesterday a day of horror and of shame.

I reiterate the EU’s condemnation of the callous violence perpetrated against the people of Myanmar and urge the Myanmar military leaders to stand down from this senseless path. This tragedy must stop.

The EU is working tirelessly with key partners to stop this violence against Myanmar’s own people, to get a proper political process under way and to release all the detainees. We will continue to use the EU’s mechanisms, including sanctions, to target the perpetrators of this violence, and those responsible for turning back the clock on Myanmar’s path of democracy and peace. The perpetrators of these serious human rights violations must be held to account for their shameless acts,” Borrell said.

The Pentagon released a joint statement on Saturday from the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark A. Milley, and the chiefs of defense of Australia, Canada, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Denmark, the Netherlands, New Zealand, South Korea and the UK, condemning the use of force against protesters in Myanmar.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the UN mission in Myanmar have also condemned the Saturday crackdown on protesters.

US President Joe Biden said that the violence at Myanmar protests was “terrible.”

“It’s terrible, it’s absolutely outrageous, and based on the reporting I’ve got an awful lot of people have been killed totally unnecessarily,” Biden told reporters on Sunday, as broadcast by MSNBC.

According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) in Myanmar, over 90 people, including children, were killed during Saturday protests against the military rule in Myanmar. Fatalities were reported in the cities of Yangon, Bago, Mandalay and surrounding regions.

On the eve of the deadly protests, the military-controlled MRTV channel warned that participants in acts of violence and unrest “could be accidentally shot in the head or back.” Unlike other outlets, the state-run channel has reported that there were armed people among protesters who were shooting at soldiers and police, provoking security forces to return fire.

On February 1, Myanmar’s military seized power in the country, announcing a one-year state of emergency and vowing to take action against alleged voter fraud during the November 8 general election. The military said it was committed to the democratic system and vowed to hold new and fair elections after the state of emergency ends.

Protests have been held across Myanmar since the military took over. According to AAPP, over 420 people have been killed during the protests since the start of February and more than 2,420 have been detained.

Last week, the U.S., the U.K. and the EU imposed sanctions against high-ranking military personnel, among others.

Russia and China have so far not commented on the recent violence in Myanmar. Unless that changes, sanctions by the U.N. Security Council are out of the question.

U.N. Special Rapporteur Tom Andrews said in a statement that if the Security Council cannot act, then an international emergency summit on Myanmar should be held immediately. He said the junta should be cut off from funding, such as oil and gas revenues, and from access to weapons.

“Words of condemnation or concern are frankly ringing hollow to the people of Myanmar while the military junta commits mass murder against them,” Andrews added.

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