‘Not another bullet to the junta’: arms embargo on Myanmar backed by more than 200 NGOs
- ‘No government should sell a single bullet to the junta under these circumstances,’ the NGOs told the UN Security Council
- The Security Council has issued several statements since the coup, condemning the use of violence and the deaths of hundreds of civilians
A statement by the group said the military “has demonstrated a callous disregard for human life” since their February 1 coup, killing at least 769 people including 51 children as young as six years old and detaining several thousand activists, journalists, civil servants and politicians. Hundreds of others have disappeared, it said.
“No government should sell a single bullet to the junta under these circumstances,” the NGOs said. “Imposing a global arms embargo on Myanmar is the minimum necessary step the Security Council should take in response to the military’s escalating violence.”
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Students protest in Myanmar against junta’s order to reopen schools
The organisations urged the United Kingdom, the Security Council nation in charge of drafting resolutions on Myanmar, “to begin negotiations on a resolution authorising an arms embargo as soon as possible”. This “will demonstrate to the junta that there will be no more business as usual”, they said.
The 15-member Security Council has issued several statements since the coup demanding the restoration of democracy and the release of all detainees including Suu Kyi, strongly condemning the use of violence against peaceful protesters and the deaths of hundreds of civilians and calling on the military “to exercise utmost restraint” and “on all sides to refrain from violence.”
