Seventy-sixth session
Item 75 (c) of the provisional agenda *
Promotion and protection of human rights: human rights
situations and reports of rapporteurs and special representatives
Summary
This report details human rights violations in Myanmar following the military coup against the civilian-led government on February 1, 2021. It focuses on the killings, torture and detention of human rights defenders, journalists, members of civil society and people from all walks of life. life who opposed the junta. It provides information on the bombing and indiscriminate bombing of towns and villages by the junta, attacks on healthcare workers during a pandemic, and the dismantling of civil and political rights, including freedom of speech and freedom of speech. association, the right to privacy, access to justice and a free press.
In this report, the Special Rapporteur also examines the national and international response to these heinous acts. The Special Rapporteur warns that, without a change of course, the current course of development in Myanmar portends a protracted authoritarianism, even greater loss of life, a humanitarian catastrophe and a failed state that poses not only a threat. for the people of Myanmar, but to the region and to the world.
Finally, the Special Rapporteur urges the United Nations and its Member States to exert targeted and sustained pressure on the military junta so that efforts to promote engagement and dialogue are more likely to succeed. As a representative of a permanent member of the Security Council said at a public meeting in July: “What are we waiting for? The longer we delay, the more people die.
1. Introduction
1. In the seven months since Chief General Min Aung Hlaing and his accomplices in the Myanmar army violently overthrew the government in an unlawful coup, the people of Myanmar have suffered widespread attacks. and systematic on the part of the Myanmar police and military. . This includes the murder of over 1,000 people, the arbitrary detention of over 7,000 and the displacement of over 200,000. The brutal campaign of the military junta likely reaches the threshold of crimes against humanity and war crimes under international law, and architects and authors should be held accountable.
2. This report details the human rights violations committed in Myanmar from March to August 2021. It focuses on the killings, torture and detention of human rights defenders, journalists, members of civil society and individuals from all walks of life who opposed the junta. It provides information on the bombing and indiscriminate bombing of towns and villages by the junta, attacks on healthcare workers during a pandemic, and ongoing attacks on basic rights to speak, meet, association and health. Annex 1 provides further details on human rights and the deepening crisis in Myanmar.
3. In the present report, the Special Rapporteur also examines the national and international responses to these heinous acts. The people of Myanmar have shown remarkable courage and tenacity in opposing the coup and the ongoing military assaults and repression. Most are deeply disappointed with the reaction of the international community. As a representative of a permanent member of the Security Council said at a public meeting in July: “What are we waiting for? The longer we delay, the more people die. This Council fails in our collective responsibility to safeguard international peace and security. And this is lacking in the Burmese people. The Special Rapporteur fully agrees.
4. The junta attacks on healthcare workers and the collapse of Myanmar’s healthcare system described in this report continue even as the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic spreads. Indeed, the deterioration of conditions in Myanmar is precisely the one that allows the rapid spread of the virus and, with it, the opportunity for the development of even more contagious and deadly variants, such as the Delta variant which continues to spread among the vaccinated. and not vaccinated. look alike. More than a third of humanity lives in countries bordering Myanmar, which means that not only are the junta’s systematic attacks on its citizens a national security problem for Myanmar, but they also pose a threat to the nation. peace and security in the region and, indeed, the world.
5. The mandate holder believes that the current trajectory and pace of these developments in Myanmar, as well as the response of the international community, will lead to a further deterioration of the situation of the people of Myanmar and an even more serious threat to the people of Myanmar. region and the world. . He urges UN Member States to critically reassess the international response and consider alternatives that can augment and complement formal UN mechanisms. Alternatives are described in the recommendations section of this report.
6. The mandate holder is deeply grateful to those who provided information and ideas for this report, including many in Myanmar who did so risking their lives and that of their families. The Special Rapporteur met, mainly by teleconference, with representatives of the Member States concerned, international and regional organizations, national and international civil society organizations, journalists, trade unionists, activists and human rights defenders. man, the government of national unity and members of the business community. The mandate holder also actively participated in various events organized by national and regional parliaments, national human rights institutions and civil society organizations.
7. In the present report, the Special Rapporteur draws on several textual accounts and statements provided by witnesses and victims in Myanmar. The voices of the people of Myanmar are often inaccessible or ignored, and too often the truth about conditions in the country is transmitted only quantitatively. It is vitally important to understand the developments in terms of their impact on individuals, families and real communities.
