Myanmar: UN Secretary General Worried About Military Coups, Says ‘The List Goes On’

…Thousands Of Protesters Storm Streets As Businesses Shut Down

The United Nations Secretary General, António Guterres has expressed concern at the growing trend of unlawful seizure of power from a democratic government (coup) by soldiers.

Guterres gave the remark on Monday, at the 46th Regular Session of the UN Human Rights Council, citing the Myanmar coup as an example.

THE WHISTLER reported that the country’s soldiers had embarked on the coup d’état in the Asian country (also called Burma) on February 1, and detained its Prime Minister, Suu Kyi, and other politicians.

The soldiers had claimed that Kyi rigged the country’s November 2020 general election.

Meanwhile, thousands of citizens had frowned at the development and stormed the streets on Monday to protest the military action.

BBC reports that many businesses closed down as employees joined a general strike.

Recall that soldiers in Mali had also ousted President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, and the Prime Minister, Boubou Cisse.

Speaking to the council, the UN Secretary General said that the Myanmar coup was just of recent, adding that a list of similar accounts was in public domain.

“I thank the Human Rights Council for your recent and timely focus on a situation where the challenges that I outlined today are dramatically evident — and that is the case of Myanmar.

“We see the undermining of democracy, the use of brutal force, arbitrary arrests, repression in all its manifestations. Restrictions of civic space. Attacks on civil society. Serious violations against minorities with no accountability, including what has rightly been called ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya population. The list goes on. It is all coming together in a perfect storm of upheaval,” he said.

He advised the military to backtrack on their actions for the greater good of the country.

“Today, I call on the Myanmar military to stop the repression immediately. Release the prisoners. End the violence. Respect human rights, and the will of the people expressed in recent elections.

“Coups have no place in our modern world,” he added.