The United States co-sponsored a resolution led by the European Union (EU) that highlighted ongoing human rights concerns, including for Rohingya, and recalled developments since February 1 in the 46th session of UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC).
Key Points
- The Council of the European Union had imposed sanctions on 11 individuals responsible for the military coup staged in Myanmar on February 1, and the subsequent military and police repression against peaceful demonstrators.
- The US urged the military to restore the democratically elected government, release those unjustly detained, and refrain from violence against the people of Myanmar.
- The resolution also renewed the mandate of the Special Rapporteur and continued support for the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar.
- Earlier, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced new sanctions against Myanmar’s chief of police, Than Hlaing, and its Bureau of Special Operations commander, Lt Gen Aung Soe, as well as two army units long implicated in human rights abuses in ethnic areas.
- The US, along with the core group, supported language that condemned the military’s actions and expanded monitoring and reporting.
- The core group comprised the United Kingdom, Norway, and Albania.
On February 1, Myanmar’s military overthrew the government and declared a year-long state of emergency hours before the newly-elected parliament was due to convene. State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint, along with other top officials accused of election fraud, have been placed under house arrest. The coup caused massive protests in the country.