Proposed UN resolution on Myanmar condemns military attacks on civilians

The UK has circulated a wide-ranging United Nations resolution on Myanmar urging renewed peace efforts, condemning attacks on civilians – especially by the military – and calling for a halt to illicit arms transfers.

The draft resolution obtained on Tuesday by The Associated Press expresses “alarm at the increased violence across Myanmar”, which is engulfed in civil war between the military-led regime and resistance forces.

It calls for “safe, rapid, and unhindered humanitarian access at scale”, and expresses “grave concern” at the deteriorating humanitarian situation and restrictions on humanitarian access in the country that led to rising food insecurity and hunger.

The proposed resolution warns that the current situation has the potential to further exacerbate discrimination, ethnically motivated violence, violations of international humanitarian law, human rights abuses, and conflict-related sexual violence.

It was the day Parliament was to reconvene following November 2020 elections, which her National League for Democracy party won overwhelmingly – an outcome the military claims without evidence was based on fraud. Suu Kyi and party members remain under arrest.

The takeover was met with massive public opposition, which has since turned into armed resistance and civil war.

The military regime now faces its greatest challenge from the ethnic minority militias and people’s defence forces who support the main opposition and have captured wide swathes of territory in fierce fighting in recent months.

The draft resolution stresses the central role of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), the 10-country bloc whose 2021 peace plan has so far been rejected by Myanmar’s generals. It calls for an immediate end to the violence and dialogue among contending parties brokered through an Asean envoy.

The draft resolution urges renewed efforts by the Asean special envoy to Myanmar, Alounkeo Kittikhoun, and new UN special envoy, Julie Bishop, “to engage all relevant stakeholders to seek a peaceful, inclusive solution to the crisis in Myanmar”.

Security Council negotiations on the draft resolution are expected to be tough.

The 15-member council approved its first-ever resolution on Myanmar in December 2022 by a vote of 12-0 with three abstentions – Russia, China and India, who all have ties to the Myanmar regime.

India’s two-year term on the council ended that month, but Russia and China are veto-wielding permanent members of the council.

The proposed draft calls for full implementation of the December 2022 resolution, which demanded an immediate end to violence in the south-east Asian nation and urged its military rulers to release all “arbitrarily detained” prisoners, including Suu Kyi, and to restore democratic institutions.

It also called for the country’s opposing parties to pursue dialogue and reconciliation and urged all sides “to respect human rights, fundamental freedoms and the rule of law”.