On the one-year anniversary of the military coup in Burma, we are seeing the regime’s human rights abuses and violations escalate, as well as an increasingly severe humanitarian crisis. The United States has pursued a variety of actions, including through the United Nations, to press the military and its leaders to reverse course and return to the path of democracy. We were proud to co-sponsor a UN General Assembly resolution in June 2021 through which the international community called loudly and clearly for states to prevent the flow of arms into Burma. We have also pushed to keep Burma on the agenda of the UN Security Council, whose fifteen members have been united in condemning the violence in Burma.
But more can and needs to be done. The UN Security Council must demonstrate through concrete action that the world demands a political solution to end their suffering, stop the flow of arms into Burma, release political prisoners, and return to a political process. At a time when access to health care is more necessary than ever, Burma’s military regime has instead blocked humanitarian aid, including COVID-19 vaccines, and attacked aid workers. It is crucial that aid organizations have full, safe, and unhindered access to deliver humanitarian assistance, and to participate in the impartial and equitable delivery of COVID-19 vaccines throughout the country.
The United States urges the international community to put its words into action to secure an end to the violence and the release of those unjustly detained, as well as restore Burma’s democratic transition. Several UN Member States have already taken important steps to promote accountability for atrocities committed by the military in Burma and to pressure it to reverse its dangerous and abusive behavior. But the UN Security Council needs to do more. While we are proud of the Council’s strong, clear, and unified voice on the crisis in Burma, statements are not enough.
