The UN Security Council on Wednesday adopted a resolution on the situation in Burma for the first time in decades, calling for an end to the violence and the release of all political prisoners, including former leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
The Security Council had never managed to overcome its disagreements on this country to adopt a resolution, in particular because of the Russian and Chinese vetoes, and had never gone beyond the stage of formal declarations.
Proposed by Britain, the resolution passed on Wednesday was endorsed by the votes of 12 out of 15 countries, and without opposition, a moment of unity as the Russian invasion of Ukraine exposed its divisions more than ever.
China and Russia abstained, renouncing to use their right of veto which would have blocked the British initiative. India also abstained.
Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, 77, was arrested as head of government in the February 2021 military coup that ended a decade of democratic transition in the country of South East Asia.
Since then, Burma has been plagued by chaos and violence and its economy in tatters. More than 2,500 civilians were killed by the security forces, according to the assessment of a local NGO.
Aung San Suu Kyi has already been sentenced to a total of 26 years in prison by the junta on 14 charges, ranging from bribery to illegal possession of walkie-talkies.
Amendments
The resolution “urges” the military “to immediately release all arbitrarily detained prisoners”, citing former President Win Myint and Aung San Suu Kyi.
The text also demands “the immediate cessation of all forms of violence” and asks “all parties to respect human rights, fundamental freedoms and the rule of law”.
In early December, the military junta sentenced at least seven students to death, bringing to 139 the number of prisoners awaiting execution in the country. These new convictions follow the execution in July of four people, including former parliamentarian Phyo Zeya Thaw and democracy activist Kyaw Min Yu. They were the first convicts executed in Burma for 30 years.
According to diplomats, the only resolution ever adopted by the UN Security Council dates back to 1948 and concerned its approval as a member country of the general assembly.
In 2008, a resolution failed to pass because of Russian and Chinese vetoes. In 2018, another initiative from Britain followed the crisis of Rohingya refugees fleeing to Bangladesh, but the text did not reach the voting stage.
Britain had begun circulating a draft text of the resolution voted on Wednesday in September.
Several amendments were made to ensure its passage, according to UN observers.
Thus, the language relating to the determination of the Council to use all its powers if Burma does not adhere to the resolution was abandoned, according to these observers.
Several members also opposed a provision requiring the UN Secretary-General to report to the Security Council on the situation in the country every 60 days. In its adopted version, the resolution requests the Secretary-General or his envoy to report by March 15, 2023, in coordination with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Shortly before the vote, UN Secretary General Antonio Gutteres said, through his spokesman, “extremely worried about the situation in the country”, particularly in terms of the “deterioration of the humanitarian situation and human rights”.
“Any opportunity for the Security Council to speak with a strong and united voice” on “Burma would be very welcome”, he added.