The UN Security Council unanimously called on Friday for the implementation of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) five-point plan, particularly for an "immediate halt to violence in Myanmar." This statement was softened at the request of China and Russia. The plan also includes appointing a special envoy from the association. The council stated in a statement initiated by Britain that this plan should be executed "without delay."
Following a closed meeting on Friday morning, the process to adopt this statement required concessions from the Western nations to Beijing and Moscow, which requested the removal of a phrase from the initial draft obtained by Agence France-Presse. The initial draft expressed the council's "strong condemnation of the violence against peaceful protesters" and called for "maximum restraint from the military."
A diplomat, who asked to remain anonymous, noted that "the goal is to avoid losing the unity of the council to the point of paralyzing its actions. This falls within the framework of the sensitivity of the work and is a very progressive matter," acknowledging the necessity to respond to the demands of China, a primary supporter of Myanmar, to keep it within the bounds of international consensus.
Thus, the Security Council has issued four statements since the military coup that occurred on February 1. All these statements have been softened during negotiations with China. The council held its meeting on Friday at the invitation of Vietnam to present the outcomes of the ASEAN summit in Indonesia. The adopted statement encourages UN envoy Christine Schraner Burgener to visit Myanmar "as soon as possible."
Diplomats indicated that Burgener, who is touring the region, reiterated her call during the Security Council meeting for a collective international stance in hopes of influencing the situation's development. She summarized a lengthy meeting she held on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit with the head of the Myanmar military council, General Min Aung Hlaing. Diplomats noted that during the meeting, she faced renewed rejection of her approach to Myanmar. She informed the Security Council on Friday that she submitted a new request on Thursday to visit the country.
A diplomat mentioned that the Brunei government, currently holding the rotating presidency of ASEAN, proposed during the meeting the idea of a joint visit by the UN envoy and her ASEAN counterpart to Myanmar. The UN envoy stated, "Our estimates indicate that about twenty thousand people have been displaced and around ten thousand have fled to neighboring countries since February," emphasizing that the "regional implications" of the situation in Myanmar "require urgent action," according to excerpts from her speech obtained by AFP.
She added that the "shared ambition for democracy has united the people of Myanmar in an unprecedented way despite their religious, ethnic, and sectarian divisions." She continued that this strong unity has posed unexpected challenges for the military in consolidating its authority and achieving stability after the coup.
This meeting came exactly four months after the coup and the house arrest of the former de facto civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Approximately 760 civilians have been killed by police and military forces in the past three months, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners. The military council admitted to only 258 deaths as of April 15 and described the protesters as "rioters" involved in "terrorist activities."
