On September 22, HRN gave an oral statement on Myanmar at the 51st Session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva. In the statement we call on states to support a binding arms embargo against Myanmar’s military and due diligence requirements on their companies that may be supporting abuses there.
Below is a video of the statement, and the text of the statement is below that. You can also view the statement on the UN’s website at: https://media.un.org/en/asset/k1m/k1mv2j7fuo?kalturaStartTime=2925
Thank you, Mr. President.
The terrible costs of the junta’s war against the people of Myanmar, in which over 2,100 civilians have been killed, was made evident once again last week as eleven children were reported killed in attacks by Myanmar’s military, or Tatmadaw, on a monastic school in Let Yet Kone village in Sagaing region, along with nine other villagers. The weekly repetition of stories like this highlights the junta’s continuing illegitimacy since its coup.
Recent weeks have seen the number of arbitrary arrests cross more than 15,000 political prisoners, with at least 54 journalists and media workers currently being detained, including most recently Mizzima News’s Myo Thant, Channel Mandalay’s Win Naing Oo, and Japanese filmmaker Toru Kubota, and more than 80 political prisoners on death row, a real threat following the four executions last July, including of pro-democracy activists Phyo Zeya Thaw and Ko Jimmy. There have also been credible reports of killings, torture, beatings, and other abuses of political prisoners in prisons, such as the regular beatings of Hpa-an University Students’ Union members.
Human Rights Now implores all states to pressure the junta to end the killings and arbitrary detentions of civilians as well as take measures to weaken the junta’s resources and legitimacy, including supporting a binding arms embargo and requiring and assisting companies to conduct heightened due diligence to ensure none of their business links supports the junta or Tatmadaw.
Thank you.