News release on the summary of statements delivered by PR - Myanmar at UN Security Council in the year 2023
[Below Myanmar Text]
သတင်းအဖြစ်ထုတ်ပြန်ချက်
ကုလသမဂ္ဂဆိုင်ရာ မြန်မာအမြဲတမ်းကိုယ်စားလှယ်သံအမတ်ကြီး ဉီးကျော်မိုးထွန်းမှ ကုလသမဂ္ဂလုံခြုံရေးကောင်စီတွင် ၂၀၂၃ ခုနှစ်အတွင်း ပြောကြားခဲ့သည့် မိန့်ခွန်းများကို ကုလသမဂ္ဂ လုံခြုံရေးကော်စီ၏ အစည်းအဝေးမှတ်တမ်းအကျဉ်း (Meeting Coverage) အဖြစ် ဖော်ပြချက်နှင့် အတူ စုစည်းဖော်ပြချက်
The United Nations Security Council conducted more than twenty thematic Open Debates in the year 2023 on various important matters, including the promotion and strengthening of the rule of law in the maintenance of international peace and security, Women, Peace and Security (WPS), ensuring security and dignity of civilians in conflicts, Children and Armed Conflict, advancing public-private humanitarian partnership and transnational organized crime.
In this regard, Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun, Permanent Representative of Myanmar to the United Nations, participated in the above-mentioned Security Council Open Debates and delivered statements accordingly to express Myanmar’s position on the global issues and informed the unspeakable tragedy unfolding in Myanmar as well as appealed the international community especially the UN Security Council to take decisive action in a timely manner in order to save lives of the people of Myanmar.
Meeting coverage of the Open Debates are made available on the Website of the United Nations.
For easy reference, summary (as appeared on the meeting coverage) of the statements delivered by Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun, Permanent Representative of Myanmar, in 2023 at the UN Security Council and the links of the full version of statements are mentioned as follows:
Statement by Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun, Permanent Representative of Myanmar to the United Nations, at the Ministerial Level Open Debate of the UN Security Council on “The Rule of Law among Nations” (New York, 12 January 2023)
KYAW MOE TUN (Myanmar), stressing that the Charter has been the foundation for international law for nearly eight decades, said the Council carries the primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security. Members of the Council, especially the permanent five, have a special responsibility in this regard, he said, expressing concern about its failure and unwillingness to uphold the Charter. The erosion of rule of law at the international level can have dangerous consequences at the national level, he said, highlighting the illegal coup d’état staged by the military junta in his country in February 2021 against its democratically elected Government. Noting that the Secretary-General this morning rightly pointed to this breakdown of the rule of law in Myanmar, he said the junta has been waging a campaign of violence and brutality against the people of his country, including through arbitrary detentions, torture, indiscriminate aerial bombings and displacement of civilians. Such actions present a threat to regional and global security, he said, adding that the Council must use its tools at its disposal to ensure accountability in Myanmar.
Full version of the said statement can be found at -
Statement by Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun, Permanent Representative of Myanmar to the United Nations, at the Open Debate of the UN Security Council on Peacebuilding and Sustaining Peace: Investment in People to Enhance Resilience against Complex Challenges (New York, 26 January 2023)
KYAW MOE TUN (Myanmar) said, based on his country’s national experience, achieving lasting peace requires restoring stability and strengthening political, economic and social institutions. Myanmar’s democratically elected Government made concerted efforts to improve the national institutions, resulting in an increase in Myanmar’s historically levels of low public trust. However, the State is now controlled by a military-drafted Constitution, following a 2021 coup by unaccountable, corrupted and brutal military generals who exploited State institutions for their own interests. Noting that the security forces have been committing repeated atrocities and even crimes against humanity and war crimes, he said institutions have become mere tools of the illegal junta’s oppression machine. Thanking the United Nations for its ongoing efforts to help the people of Myanmar restore democracy and the rule of law, he called for a transition to a federal democratic union with effective, accountable, inclusive and transparent institutions.
Full version of the said statement can be found at -
Statement by Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun, Permanent Representative of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar to the United Nations at Open Debate of UNSC on Women, Peace and Security: Towards the 25th Anniversary of Resolution 1325 (New York, 7 March 2023)
KYAW MOE TUN (Myanmar) said that the illegal military coup in Myanmar has killed many women protestors and human rights defenders, whereas thousands of women activists have been arbitrarily arrested. He acknowledged the participation of Myanmar CSO women’s participation in a CSW67 side event and underscored that such an opportunity allowed relevant stakeholders to describe the actual situation in Myanmar, particularly those challenges faced by women and children. He also echoed the aspiration and determination of Myanmar people’s continued resistance against the military junta and their commitment towards establishing a federal democratic Myanmar that would ensure a civic space conducive to the meaningful participation and contribution of women in peace and sectors in Myanmar.
Full version of the said statement can be found at -
Statement by Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun, Permanent Representative of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar to the United Nations at the UN Security Council Open Debate on “Futureproofing Trust for Sustaining Peace” under the agenda item “Peacebuilding and Sustaining Peace” (New York, 3 May 2023)
KYAW MOE TUN (Myanmar) said that predictability and consistency of the Council’s response to atrocity crimes can contribute to national peacebuilding processes. He recalled that in the course of 27 months — since the military coup of February 2021 in his country — the Council has issued seven press communiqués and a presidential statement and adopted the first ever resolution in this regard. However, every single call of the organ has been disrespected and ignored by the junta, he said, noting that it continued committing crimes against humanity and war crimes. Disregarding the Council’s demand to end violence, it continued attacks against the people of Myanmar “with much more cruelty”. “We all talk conveniently again and again of preventive measures and the importance of early warning,” he continued, while urging the Council to be unequivocal in denouncing the deliberate killings of civilians — especially when backed by evidence — and hold perpetrators accountable. To this end, he called on the 15-nation organ — in accordance with the will and aspiration of the Myanmar people — to adopt follow-up concrete measures to resolution 2669 (2022) and give peacemaking a chance by ending the military impunity.
Full version of the said statement can be found at -
Statement by Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun, Permanent Representative of Myanmar to the United Nations at the United Nations Security Council Open Debate on “Women and Peace and Security: sexual violence in conflict” (New York, 14 July 2023)
KYAW MOE TUN (Myanmar) said that, since the illegal coup in February 2021, the security and police forces, under the military junta, have been using sexual violence as a war tactic, political oppression and retaliation. Noting that women and girls are at the front line of the opposition to the illegal coup, he said that female human rights defenders are risking their lives to document and report atrocities. “These inhumane acts must stop,” he stressed, welcoming the “rightly” listing of the Myanmar military, including its border guards, as the parties suspected of sexual violence in armed conflict. In this context, the National Unity Government has taken a people-centred approach to advance the women, peace and security agenda, he pointed out. To put an end to sexual violence in Myanmar, he called for transforming the military from the main sexual violence perpetrator to a professional, accountable institution that oversees democratic norms and principles.
Full version of the said statement can be found at -
Statement by Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun, Permanent Representative of Myanmar to the United Nations at the UN Security Council High-Level Open Debate on Famine and Conflict-Induced Global Food Insecurity (New York, 3 August 2023)
KYAW MOE TUN (Myanmar) said that a decade of democratic reforms and hard-worn momentum to reduce poverty has been eliminated following the 2021 illegal coup by the military junta. Currently, 15.2 million people are in food insecurity. According to WFP, nearly one in three children in Myanmar under the age of five suffers from stunting and 7 per cent from wasting. The junta destroyed civilian livelihoods by preventing them from farming and harvesting their crops. The Council has made repeated calls and demands, including through resolution 2669 (2022), for an immediate end to all forms of violence and for full, safe and unhindered humanitarian access in Myanmar. However, the Council has yet to hold the military junta accountable for their repeated war crimes, he said, urging the 15-nation organ to follow up with enforcement actions to its repeated demands. It is a high time for the Council to start a negotiation process to adopt a timely, enforceable resolution on Myanmar, he added.
Full version of the said statement can be found at -
Statement by Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun, Permanent Representative of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar to the United Nations at the United Nations Security Council Open Debate on Women and Peace and Security (WPS): “Women’s participation in international peace and security: from theory to practice” (New York, 26 October 2023)
KYAW MOE TUN (Myanmar), detailing the security risks faced by women in Myanmar, said that women’s participation in the resistance against the illegal coup has not weakened. Rather, it is the driving force of an ongoing movement to end the coup and establish a peaceful country. The focus now is on finding a sustainable solution, he said, stressing the need to ensure women’s full, equal, meaningful and safe participation to that end. Pointing to the “civilian protection crisis”, he said that women and girls must be protected from sexual violence and other serious crimes, particularly in conflict areas. The Council should take concrete actions to end military impunity for serious international crimes, including rape and sexual violence. He appealed to neighbouring and third countries to support and provide safety to Myanmar women, including civil servants and journalists who fled from the junta’s ceaseless persecutions.
Full version of the said statement can be found at -
Statement by Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun, Permanent Representative of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar to the United Nations at the Open Debate on “Threat to International Peace and Security Transnational Organized Crime: growing challenges and new threats” at the United Nations Security Council (New York, 7 December 2023)
KYAW MOE TUN (Myanmar) said that a major emerging threat posed by transnational organized crime in South-East Asia is cybercrime. Victims of human trafficking are enslaved in online scam compounds in the region, including his country, to commit investment and other scams. The collapse of the rule of law, rampant corruption, sky-high unemployment and instability, combined with the zero legitimacy of the illegal coup in Myanmar, are perfect conditions for transnational organized crime to take root and thrive. Such an environment has been enabled by the Myanmar military junta. The world has clearly seen that the junta-controlled border guard forces, their commanders and junta-appointed officials have been deeply involved in maintaining online scam compounds in Laukkai in northern Shan State and Shwe Kokko in Karen State. The victims of their organized crime are from over 46 countries, including fellow ASEAN members. To eliminate transnational organized crime and establish seamless regional connectivity in trade, the region needs a Myanmar which is a peaceful, democratic and reliable partner for regional peace and development. That will never happen with the current unaccountable tyrannical military.
Full version of the said statement can be found at -
Statement by Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun, Permanent Representative of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar to the United Nations at the Open Debate on “Addressing the threat posed by diversion, illicit trafficking and misuse of small arms and light weapons and their ammunition to peace and security” at the United Nations Security Council (New York, 15 December 2023)
KYAW MOE TUN (Myanmar) underscored that preventing the flow of arms into wrong hands plays a key role in combating international terrorism and transnational organized crime. Deadly weapons are, however, also misused by others. In Myanmar, weaponry in the possession of the illegal military junta is being used to kill civilians, perpetrating — with blanket impunity — serious international crimes of which there is evidence. States have a responsibility to assess whether their exported weapons are being used for legitimate defence purposes or to perpetrate atrocity crimes against non-combatant civilians. The minimum that the people of Myanmar expect from Member States is to not enable the junta to continue committing atrocities, he said, commending those States which have already imposed arms embargoes or restrictions against the junta. Urging other countries to follow suit, he called for a follow-up enforcement Council resolution to save lives in his country.
Full version of the said statement can be found at -
၂၀၂၄ ခုနှစ်၊ ဇန်နဝါရီလ ၂ ရက်
ကုလသမဂ္ဂဆိုင်ရာ မြန်မာအမြဲတမ်းကိုယ်စားလှယ်အဖွဲ့ရုံး၊ နယူးယောက်မြို့
