Myanmar envoy appeals to U.N. to stop coup as police break up protests

[rooster59]

Myanmar envoy appeals to U.N. to stop coup as police break up protests

 

Myanmar's ambassador to the United Nations Kyaw Moe Tun holds up three fingers at the end of his speech to the General Assembly where he pleaded for International action in overturning the military coup in his country as seen in this still image taken from a video, in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S., February 26, 2021. United Nations TV/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES

 

(Reuters) - Myanmar's U.N. envoy urged the United Nations to use "any means necessary" to stop a military coup there, making a surprise appeal on behalf of the ousted government as police cracked down on anti-junta protesters.

 

The Southeast Asian country has been in crisis since the army seized power on Feb. 1 and detained elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi and much of her party leadership, alleging fraud in a November election her party had won.

 

The coup has brought hundreds of thousands of protesters to Myanmar's streets and drawn condemnation from Western countries, with some imposing limited sanctions.

 

Myanmar's ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun told the U.N. General Assembly he was speaking on behalf of Suu Kyi's government and appealed to the body "to use any means necessary to take action against the Myanmar military and to provide safety and security for the people."

 

"...We need further strongest possible action from the international community to immediately end the military coup, to stop oppressing the innocent people.. and to restore the democracy," told the 193-member U.N. General Assembly, receiving applause as he finished.

 

Delivering his final words in Burmese Kyaw Moe Tun, a career diplomat, raised the three-finger salute of pro-democracy protesters and announced "our cause will prevail."

 

Reuters was not immediately able to contact the army for comment.

 

Opponents of the coup hailed Kyaw Moe Tun as a hero.

 

"The people will win and the power-obsessed junta will fall," one protest leader, Ei Thinzar Maung, wrote on Facebook.

 

U.N. special envoy on Myanmar Christine Schraner Burgener pushed the world body for a collective "clear signal in support of democracy" and told the General Assembly no country should recognise or legitimize the junta.

 

China's envoy did not criticize the coup and said the situation was Myanmar's "internal affairs", saying it supported diplomacy by Southeast Asian countries which protesters fear could give credibility to the ruling generals.

 

SUU KYI'S WHEREABOUTS UNCERTAIN

 

Uncertainty grew over Suu Kyi's whereabouts on Friday, as the independent Myanmar Now website quoted senior officials of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party as saying she had been moved this week from house arrest to an undisclosed location.

 

One lawyer acting for her, Khin Maung Zaw, told Reuters he had heard the same from NLD officials but could not confirm it. Authorities did not respond to a request for comment.

 

The lawyer said he had been given no access to Suu Kyi ahead of her next hearing on Monday, adding: "I'm concerned that there will be a loss of rights to access to justice and access to legal counsel".

 

Protesters who have taken to the streets daily for over three weeks demand the release of Suu Kyi, 75, and recognition of the result of last year's election.

 

In the biggest city, Yangon, riot police fired rubber bullets, stun grenades and shots into the air to send protesters scattering. At least one person was wounded there, a witness said.

 

Several people were detained, witnesses said, among them a Japanese journalist who was held briefly.

 

Several people were also hurt by police in the second city of Mandalay, domestic media and an emergency worker said. Police also broke up protests in Naypyitaw, the central town of Magwe and western hill town of Hakha, witnesses said.

 

Military chief General Min Aung Hlaing says authorities were using minimal force. Nevertheless, at least three protesters have died. The army says a policeman was also killed.

 

At least 689 people are under detention or have outstanding charges that have been laid against them since the coup, according to Myanmar's Assistance Association for Political Prisoners.

 

Suu Kyi, the daughter of Myanmar's independence hero, spent nearly 15 years under house arrest under previous juntas. She faces charges of illegally importing six walkie-talkie radios and of violating a natural disaster law by breaching coronavirus protocols.

 

The army has promised an election, but has not given a date. It has imposed a one-year state of emergency.

 

The question of an election is at the center of a diplomatic effort by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), of which Myanmar is a member. Indonesia has taken the lead, but coup opponents fear the efforts could legitimise the junta.

 

ASEAN foreign ministers are planning to hold a meeting on Myanmar next week, regional diplomats said.

 

(Reporting by Reuters Staff; Writing by Ed Davies, Robert Birsel; Editing by Nick Macfie, Jon Boyle and John Stonestreet)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-02-27

 

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[PatOngo]

55 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

Myanmar's U.N. envoy urged the United Nations to use "any means necessary" to stop a military coup there

.........and what will the toothless tiger do? ???? The Thai army took over Thailand on 20th September 2006 while the elected Prime Minister spoke at the UN in NY, and what became of that?

[harada]

So this guy won’t be going home any time soon. 

[harada]

34 minutes ago, PatOngo said:

.........and what will the toothless tiger do? ???? The Thai army took over Thailand on 20th September 2006 while the elected Prime Minister spoke at the UN in NY, and what became of that?

Another couple of weeks in 5star hotels and a few more banquets and they’ll issue a severe slap on the wrist for the junta.

[Phuketshrew]

Typical UN committee meeting:

 

[ProfDrem]

Nothing to worry about.

Myanmar coup leader Min Aung Hlaing asked Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha to help the Tatmadaw to establish a real democracy in their country. Based on Prayut's experience with respecting democratic decisions, we can rest assured that a really democratic system will be established in Myanmar in the near future, benevolently overseen by the Tatmadaw. ????

(Caution! This text may contain elements of sarcasm.)

[Morch]

5 hours ago, PatOngo said:

.........and what will the toothless tiger do? ???? The Thai army took over Thailand on 20th September 2006 while the elected Prime Minister spoke at the UN in NY, and what became of that?

 

Decisions such as these are UNSC territory. Given than China is a permanent member, with the veto rights, guess that even if there was much will, it would go nowhere. Global cooperation on such matters took a hit under Trump's watch, and the Coronavirus situation makes lengthy, doubtful adventures abroad even less enticing.

[Morch]

4 hours ago, harada said:

So this guy won’t be going home any time soon. 

 

Wonder who will pay his bills once the coup leaders get round to cutting him off.

[PatOngo]

26 minutes ago, Morch said:

 

Decisions such as these are UNSC territory. Given than China is a permanent member, with the veto rights, guess that even if there was much will, it would go nowhere. Global cooperation on such matters took a hit under Trump's watch, and the Coronavirus situation makes lengthy, doubtful adventures abroad even less enticing.

Has the UN ever had any gonads?

[Morch]

4 hours ago, PatOngo said:

Has the UN ever had any gonads?

 

People often confuse the UN for something that it's not. The UN is not a world government, does not command troops of its own, and is a body governed by politics. The UNSC, charged with deciding and executing most of the decisions involving actions, is similarly hampered by issues of politics, power plays and tit-for-tat between members. Gonads don't come into it much. 

[rasmus5150]

39 minutes ago, Morch said:

 

People often confuse the UN for something that it's not. The UN is not a world government, does not command troops of its own, and is a body governed by politics. The UNSC, charged with deciding and executing most of the decisions involving actions, is similarly hampered by issues of politics, power plays and tit-for-tat between members. Gonads don't come into it much. 

 

https://medium.com/@celinegh/institutional-failures-of-the-united-nations-peacekeeping-forces-in-the-fall-of-srebrenica-6c00d0d471a

 

[hotchilli]

On 2/27/2021 at 5:35 AM, rooster59 said:

We need further strongest possible action from the international community to immediately end the military coup, to stop oppressing the innocent people.. and to restore the democracy," told the 193-member U.N. General Assembly, receiving applause as he finished.

Which is about all he will get from the UN.... 

[unblocktheplanet]

The great defender of democracy USA should do something useful with its troops. If they unilaterally invaded Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait, Syria & Libya, they can do the same in Myanmar.

 

Oh, right, Burma doesn't have any oil...

[Morch]

35 minutes ago, unblocktheplanet said:

The great defender of democracy USA should do something useful with its troops. If they unilaterally invaded Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait, Syria & Libya, they can do the same in Myanmar.

 

Oh, right, Burma doesn't have any oil...

 

They did not 'unilaterally' invade countries listed. All were with one form or other of international support.