The Republic of the Union of Myanmar welcomes the oral update of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on the situation of human rights in Myanmar.

The High Commissioner in her update expressed respect for the “strength and resolve of Myanmar’s people, who continue to reject and resist the military and their attempts to assert control.”

As the High Commissioner acknowledges, the military junta has failed to secure the levers of state. Frustrated by this failure, the junta is escalating its commission of crimes against humanity and war crimes, amplifying civilian suffering.

Forced disappearances, arbitrary arrest and detention, torture and mistreatment, and the razing of homes and villages are systematic tactics used by the junta for military gain. Humanitarian aid is being manipulated for political leverage. The junta’s recent announcement of its intention to resume executions of political detainees is the latest act in a clear campaign of terror, in its escalation of
atrocities. As ever, Rohingya and other minority communities already subject to entrenched exclusion face heightened and compounded forms of disadvantage.

During the interactive dialogue, a number of States asked the High Commissioner what could be done in the face of the junta’s blanket rejection of international norms and international pressure. As the High Commissioner conceded, “international efforts to rein in the military’s recklessly violent approach have been largely ineffective.”

The High Commissioner has proposed two paths – engage with the National Unity Government and civil society, and intensify pressure on the junta’s leadership.
The Republic of the Union of Myanmar, as represented by the National Unity Government, welcomes both calls. Myanmar is committed to strengthening its partnership with its fellow ASEAN members and the international community to cement democracy in Myanmar, to stem the junta’s atrocities, to secure the delivery of desperately needed humanitarian assistance, and to support the voluntary return in safety and dignity of all Myanmar refugees and internally displaced persons, including Rohingya and other minority communities.

Myanmar also accepts without question its obligations under international human rights law and international humanitarian law, and will ratify additional instruments including the ICCPR and CAT.

Furthermore, in its pursuit of justice and accountability, Myanmar will continue to engage with the International Criminal Court, the International Court of Justice, the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General on Myanmar, and the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar.

Myanmar extends its full cooperation to the Human Rights Council and its mechanisms including the Special Procedures, and to OHCHR with a view to ultimately establishing a country office. The provision of technical assistance, including through the UN Country Team, will assist Myanmar to advance these commitments.

With regard to the intensification of pressure on the military junta, the recommendations presented by the High Commissioner at HRC49 still stand. Belligerent to ASEAN appeals, obstructive to the Five-Point Consensus, the junta’s escalating atrocities demand escalated action.

The Human Rights Council and UN member states must therefore bring creativity to their efforts to
secure accountability, to prevent the flow of arms to the junta, to starve junta-controlled financial holdings and business interests, to formally list the junta as a terrorist organisation, and to strengthen OHCHR’s mandate and resources.

The Republic of the Union of Myanmar restates it commitment to constructive engagement with the Human Rights Council and its support for the mandate of the High Commissioner.