News Agency
\nUNITED NATIONS
\nMyanmar\u2019s UN ambassador strongly opposed the military coup in his country and appealed for the \u201cstrongest possible action from the international community\u201d to immediately restore democracy, in a dramatic speech to the UN General Assembly Friday that drew loud applause from many diplomats in the 193-nation global body.
\nAmbassador Kyaw Moe Tun began his statement saying he represented Aung San Suu Kyi\u2019s \u201ccivilian government elected by the people\u201d in November, and supported their fight for the end of military rule.
\nHe urged all countries to issue public statements strongly condemning the Feb. 1 coup, and to refuse to recognize the military regime and ask its leaders to respect the free and fair elections in November won by Suu Kyi\u2019s National League for Democracy party. He also urged stronger international measures to stop violence by security forces against peaceful demonstrators.
\n\u201cIt is time for the military to immediately relinquish power and release those detained,\u201d Tun said, agreeing with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that military coup \u201cis not acceptable in this modern world and the coup must cease.\u201d
\n\u201cWe will continue to fight for a government which is of the people, by the people, for the people,\u201d he vowed.
\nTun\u2019s surprise statement not only drew applause but commendations from speaker after speaker at the assembly meeting including ambassadors representing the European Union, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the new US ambassador, Linda Thomas Greenfield. She joined others in describing the speech as \u201ccourageous,\u201d \u201cpowerful\u201d and \u201cbrave.\u201d
\nIn her first appearance at the assembly since presenting her credentials to Guterres in Thursday, Thomas-Greenfield said the United States \u201cstands in solidarity\u201d with the people of Myanmar who are in the streets protesting the coup.
\nAnd she reiterated President Joe Biden\u2019s warning that \u201cwe will show the military that their actions have consequences\u201d and demand to the military \u201cto immediately relinquish power.\u201d
\nIn a tweet later, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken referred to Myanmar by its former name Burma and said \u201cthe United States commends the courageous and clear statement\u201d of Ambassador Tun, \u201cand by those in Burma who are making their voices heard. We must all heed their call to restore democracy in Burma.\u201d
\nThe assembly meeting was called to hear a briefing from the UN special envoy for Myanmar, Christine Schraner Burgener, who said it is time to \u201csound the alarm\u201d about the coup and the military pushing democratic processes aside, violating the constitution, reversing reforms instituted by Suu Kyi, and arresting peaceful protesters, civil society representatives and members of the media.
\nShe pointed to restrictions on the Internet and communication services and the detention of about 700 people according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners in Myanmar, and she called \u201cthe use of lethal force and rising deaths unacceptable.\u201d
\nThe huge protests in the country are not about a fight between Suu Kyi\u2019s party and the military, she said, \u201cit is a fight without arms.\u201d
\nAddressing diplomats in the General Assembly chamber by video link, Schraner Burgener urged \u201call of you to collectively send a clear signal in support of democracy in Myanmar.\u201d
\nThe military takeover in Myanmar shocked the international community and reversed years of slow progress toward democracy. Suu Kyi\u2019s party would have been installed for a second five-year term that day, but the army blocked Parliament from convening and detained her, President Win Myint and other top members of her government.
\nMyanmar\u2019s military says it took power because November\u2019s election was marked by widespread voting irregularities, an assertion that was refuted by the election commission, whose members have since been replaced by the ruling junta. The junta has said it will rule for a year under a state of emergency and then hold new polls.
\nSchraner Burgener told the General Assembly that democratically elected representatives were able to be sworn in according to the constitution on Feb. 4 and have formed the Committee Representing Pyidaungu Hluttaw (National Assembly), known as CRPH, and are seeking \u201cto uphold their obligations to serve the people who voted for them.\u201d
\nTun began his remarks by reading a statement from CRPH stressing the legitimacy of the election results and declaring that the military overthrew the democratically elected government. He cited the massive opposition by the people, saying \u201cnow is not the time for the international community to tolerate the war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Myanmar military.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
News Agency UNITED NATIONS Myanmar\u2019s UN ambassador strongly opposed the military coup in his country and appealed for the \u201cstrongest possible action from the international community\u201d to immediately restore democracy, in a dramatic speech to the UN General Assembly Friday that drew loud applause from many diplomats in the 193-nation global body. Ambassador Kyaw Moe […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":177096,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-177071","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-world"],"yoast_head":"\n