UN Security Council must act with caution on Myanmar: Chinese envoy
XINHUADec 22, 2022
On Wednesday, the UN Security Council (UNSC) demanded Myanmar stop the widespread violence in the country and urged the military junta to free "political prisoners" while expressing support for a peace process implemented by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
The British-proposed resolution, which also requested that the Secretary-General or his Special Envoy on Myanmar provide an oral report to the body by March 2023, was approved in the 15-member body by a vote of 12-0, with China, India, and Russia abstaining.
This resolution risks botching efforts to promote peace in Myanmar both due to its format and content, as it lacks balance and risks antagonizing the junta. There's no quick fix to the Myanmar conflict, and pressuring for an overnight solution can only prolong the crisis, as the Libya issue has shown.
This historic resolution makes it clear to Myanmar's military junta that the international community will not tolerate human rights abuses against the people of Myanmar and the destruction of the country's democratic institutions. It also endorses ASEAN's central role in solving this crisis and supports its 2021 five-point consensus to restore peace and stability to the country.
This resolution indeed lacks any substantive action to stop the military junta from committing atrocities against Myanmar's people because China and Russia have taken the UNSC hostage, favoring their junta allies and trade partners. UN member states must take action and impose a global arms embargo and targeted sanctions against the terrorist military regime.