Thank you, Special Envoy.
The Myanmar military’s actions since the February 2021 coup have created a humanitarian and human rights catastrophe that is rapidly undoing the hard-fought democratic progress achieved by the Myanmar people over the past decade.
The United States condemns in the strongest terms the military regime’s continued repression. The United States calls for coordinated action and an international arms embargo to deprive the military of the weapons and revenues it has used to carry out its scorched-earth campaign. The continued transfer and sale of arms by member states to the military must stop.
The military has shown no willingness to meaningfully engage with the international community. It has repeatedly dismissed the efforts of ASEAN and its Five-Point Consensus, blocked the delivery of humanitarian assistance, and further inflamed tensions with the July executions of four pro-democracy activists.
We are deeply concerned by the military’s plan to hold general elections in 2023 even as it deepens its repression of the political opposition. Free or fair elections will be impossible while political candidates are being killed, imprisoned, or forced to flee the country. Far from being an exit ramp for the crisis, the elections will fuel greater violence.
It is imperative the international community take strong action now to support the people of Myanmar, prevent further atrocities by the military, and advance Myanmar’s democratic transition. Myanmar’s civil society, ethnic communities, and pro-democracy groups, including the “National Unity Government,” are willing partners and should be meaningfully engaged with and supported by the international community.
We ask: What further actions can the international community take to restrict the supply of arms to the military?
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