US, 6 other countries call for strict ban on arms sales to Myanmar
BANGKOK (AP) – The United States and six other countries issued a joint statement on Friday calling on the international community to suspend all assistance to the Burmese military and expressing grave concern at reports of human rights violations by its forces of security.
The statement comes as fears of escalating violence grow in the Southeast Asian country, whose military is trying to crush an increasingly active armed opposition movement seeking to end the military regime.
“We are concerned about the allegations of arms storage and attacks by the military, including bombings and airstrikes, the use of heavy weapons and the deployment of thousands of troops accompanying what the forces of security claim to be counterterrorism operations, which have a disproportionate impact on civilians, ”the statement said.
He said the rights violations included “credible reports of sexual violence and torture,” and pointed to the northwest of the country, where tens of thousands of people have reportedly been displaced by government attacks.
The countries that issued the statement – the United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Norway, South Korea and the United Kingdom – have already banned arms sales to Myanmar, including the army seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February. . They also instituted targeted diplomatic and economic sanctions designed to put pressure on the ruling generals behind the takeover.
Such measures, although damaging Myanmar’s economy, have done little to restore democracy and peace. China and Russia are allies of the military-installed government and, as members of the UN Security Council, have effectively blocked concerted international action to isolate the generals. Beijing and Moscow are also Myanmar’s main arms suppliers.
Friday’s statement, released by the US State Department, applauded a consensus declared earlier this month by the UN Security Council, which called for “an immediate end to violence, protection of civilians and full, safe and unimpeded humanitarian access “. The consensus, published in the form of a press release, has no binding power and does not have the influence that a formal resolution would have.
Friday’s seven-country statement called on the international community “to suspend all operational support to the military and cease the transfer of arms, materiel, dual-use equipment and technical assistance to the military and to its representatives “.
Myanmar’s crisis escalated rapidly after the February military takeover, which sparked numerous non-violent pro-democracy protests. Security forces used lethal force to quell protests, killing nearly 1,300 civilians, according to a tally maintained by a political prisoner research organization.
The crackdown has led opponents of the military to take up arms, and UN experts have said the country is now at risk of falling into civil war.
Faced with growing opposition in cities and in the countryside, there are fears that the army may launch an all-out offensive, especially as the annual rainy season draws to a close, allowing it to maneuver more easily.
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