At a United Nations Security Council meeting, Myanmar’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun, made crucial observations regarding the situation in Myanmar. The Ambassador emphasized that mere expressions of concern from the UN Security Council regarding Myanmar’s crisis are insufficient, and more effective actions are urgently needed. He highlighted that the current delay in taking concrete action has resulted in the continued loss of innocent civilian lives and the destruction of young people’s futures.
The Ambassador stressed that the people of Myanmar deserve effective protection from the international community, noting that the Security Council’s slow response has prolonged the conflict. He urged the international community to employ various methods to stop the flow of weapons, aviation fuel, and military and civilian supplies to the military junta. He emphasized that each day of inaction leads to more civilian casualties and the loss of youth’s futures.
Following the military coup in 2021, Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun detailed how Myanmar has experienced a collapse in the rule of law, breakdown of political institutions, increased corruption, and deteriorating security conditions. These circumstances have led to an increase in cross-border crimes, drug trafficking, and human trafficking through both land and sea routes. He warned that these developments are severely impacting regional and international peace and security, including maritime security. The Ambassador explained how the military junta’s brutality, lack of rule of law, economic collapse, poverty, displacement, online scam operations, drug trafficking, and human trafficking have serious implications for regional and international security.
The Ambassador emphasized that the military junta’s planned sham election would only worsen the current unstable situation. He explained that genuine elections cannot be held without releasing the country’s leaders and political prisoners. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) report, drug trafficking from Myanmar has significantly increased in East Asia, Southeast Asia, and South Asia since the military coup. He reported that over 7,000 innocent civilians have been killed, more than 20 million people urgently need humanitarian assistance, about half of the country’s population has fallen below the poverty line, and there are over 3.5 million internally displaced persons, including Rohingya. The Ambassador also highlighted that displaced people in internal camps are at increased risk of becoming victims of human trafficking. He stressed that reconciliation cannot be achieved without transitional justice, and meaningful dialogue cannot occur without listening to the hopes of Myanmar’s people and youth.
