10
May
2023
Watch
Myanmar, notably the dissolution of democratic political parties
Mr President, dear colleagues, this evening I want to direct my words to the members of the ousted civilian government of Myanmar, the so-called Union Parliament. Two and a half years after the military coup attempt, the atrocities by the junta are growing and the suffering of the people, including of the refugees – some of those, the Rohingyas, have been expelled from the country – are growing day by day. So now the international community must take very seriously its responsibility to protect the people, and it is in no way acceptable that the junta is planning sham elections this year, and for that purpose it has closed and finished 40 political parties. Now it’s very important that we coordinate internationally the sanctions and that we try to find ways to address the illicit criminal economy of the junta, which is also undermining the sanctions of the democratic countries. So we need to work together with the democratic forces, the national unity government, the Union Parliament and the armed regional organisations that work all together. This is the moment that we have to take our responsibility.