UN chief warns that Myanmar crisis now threatens Asean security
UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres has warned Myanmar’s crisis is a threat to security across Southeast Asia while calling on the country’s junta to immediately return to the path of democracy.
Speaking at the UN-Asean summit in Phnom Penh on Saturday, Guterres said Myanmar’s military government must release political prisoners, end violence and restore democracy, as the only solution to bloody conflict engulfing the country since last year’s military coup.
He said an inclusive peace process is required, adding that Indonesia would work hard to achieve this as next year’s Asean chair.
Indonesia has pushed for a stronger Asean response to Myanmar’s crisis after the regional bloc’s five-point peace plan was largely ignored by the junta as it wages a brutal military campaign against nationwide resistance to its rule.
“The situation in Myanmar is an unending nightmare for the people of the country and a threat to peace and security across the region. Indiscriminate attacks on civilians are horrendous and heart-breaking. I urge the authorities in Myanmar to listen to their people, release political prisoners, and get democratic transition back on track immediately,” Guterres said.
“That is the only way to stability and peace,” he added, urging Asean to find a unified strategy towards Myanmar centred on the needs and aspirations of the country’s people.
He also called for Myanmar to create conditions for the voluntary return of almost one million Rohingya refugees.
Following the summit, he tweeted: “At Asean, I condemned the appalling human rights situation in Myanmar and repeated calls for the country's authorities to release all political prisoners and launch an inclusive process to return to democratic transition.
“I also urged all member countries to develop a regional framework to protect refugees,” he added.
The Phnom Penh Post
Asia News Network
