He added that China supported the holding of a special summit by the Association of South-East Asian Nations, of which Myanmar is one of 10 members, to try and find a diplomatic solution. Credit:Getty. All quotes delayed a minimum of 15 minutes. Ibrahim Gambari, head of U.N. political affairs, visited Myanmar twice last year and met with Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, under house arrest or in prison since her National League for Democracy won elections in 1990. Anti-coup protesters run to avoid military forces during a demonstration in Yangon, Myanmar, on Wednesday. China last month voiced outrage at the burning of its factories in the Yangon, prompting the junta to impose martial law in the city. REUTERS/Aung Hla Tun. A view of the replica of the Shwedagon Pagoda being constructed in the military regime's new jungle capital, Nay Pyi Taw or 'Royal City', north of Yangon, November 29, 2006. Both Russia and China, which had not cast a double veto since 1972, made the point the United States needed to listen to their complaints carefully. She has been under house arrest since the coup was launched but on Wednesday was for the first time able to speak to and be seen by her lawyers, who said she told them she was healthy. Ambassador Alejandro Wolff told the council. The vote was 9-3 in favor of the resolution, with three abstentions. China has so far stopped short of criticising the coup in Myanmar that threw out a democratically elected government, and has now blocked the UN Security Council from formally condemning it.. At issue was whether the Security Council had the mandate to deal with the issue rather than the assembly and other U.N. bodies, whose resolutions carry less weight. A group of 45 former world leaders including former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd had earlier in the week written to UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres calling for the security council to intervene and the Responsibility to Protect principle to be invoked in Myanmar. And we won’t forget you,” Acting U.S. China and Russia on Friday vetoed a U.S. resolution calling on Myanmar's military junta to stop persecution of minority and opposition groups, killing the measure in the U.N. Security Council. South Africa also voted “no,” while Qatar, Indonesia and Congo Republic abstained. In China, meanwhile, there is further concern about an outbreak of COVID-19 cases on its border with Myanmar, with the city of Ruili placed into lockdown after six positive tests on Wednesday, three of them Myanmar nationals, according to health officials. They argued that human rights violations were not the purview of the Security Council unless they endangered regional or international peace and security, which Myanmar did not. Britain’s U.N. ambassador, Emyr Jones Parry, who co-sponsored the resolution, told reporters he could look himself in the mirror for pushing the measure. forced villagers across the border to Thailand, A group of 45 former world leaders including former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd had earlier in the week written to UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres calling for the security council to intervene. See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays. “The people of Burma should not feel disheartened by this. A key obstacle was opposition from China and Russia, both allies of Myanmar with Security Council vetoes. China, Russia, Cambodia, Laos, the Philippines and Vietnam joined Myanmar in voting against the measure as did Belarus, Syria and Zimbabwe. He argued that refugees were pouring over the border, the trafficking of people had increased and AIDS was spreading. China is also a backer of Myanmar. We Myanmar people are very united.” Anti-coup protesters run to avoid military forces during a demonstration in Yangon, Myanmar, on Wednesday. Myanmar’s superpower neighbour maintained close relations with previous military rulers during the country’s decades in international isolation but also developed positive links with elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi in recent years. "Myanmar as a country is really not happy to be overly reliant on China. China blocked a UN Security Council statement tackling Myanmar’s military coup, after an emergency meeting was held by the international body on Tuesday.. China, an old-time ally of Myanmar, used its veto power to prevent a UK-drafted statement from being ratified … Candlelit vigils for Myanmar’s dead have been held across the country and internationally, including this one on March 31 in Kathmandu, Nepal. It was hailed as a diplomatic achievement, but given the dire circumstances, it was a paltry substitute for action. The measure urged Myanmar, formerly Burma, to release all political prisoners, move toward democracy and stop attacks against minorities, many of whom are used for forced labor. But two of the negative votes came from permanent members with veto rights. China vetoed UN condemnation of Myanmar coup and junta violence and called it an internal affair. It knows that it must have good relations with China, but it wants to balance … UNITED NATIONS, Feb 4 2021 (IPS) - When million-dollar arms sales knock on the door, human rights violations and war crimes fly out of the window. Myanmar’s U.N. ambassador, Kyaw Tint Swe, said cooperating with the United Nations was the cornerstone of Myanmar’s foreign policy. Candlelit vigils for Myanmar’s dead have been held across the country and internationally, including this one on March 31 in Kathmandu, Nepal. To supporters of the failed resolution, pressure from the United Nations and elsewhere has had little effect on the junta, which cooperated a bit more with the world body only after the Security Council put Myanmar on its agenda. It insisted, however, it would continue to clamp down on “actions that disrupt government security and administration”, giving itself licence for more violence and savagery against pro-democracy protesters. While hundreds have fled Myanmar into India and more than 2000 sought refuge in Thailand, the appearance of the virus has triggered China to tighten its border. The root of the Security Council’s problem is the permanent veto, specifically China’s and Russia’s use. “I want tomorrow morning to be able to reassure myself that we did the right thing, the right thing by the people of Myanmar,” he said. A joint statement would have needed China's support which holds veto power as a permanent member of the (UN) Security Council. China finally relented and the Security Council issued a diluted statement. The root of the Security Council’s problem is the permanent veto, specifically China’s and Russia’s use. China, Russia veto Myanmar resolution (Chinadaily.com.cn /Agencies) Updated: 2007-01-13 11:02. China and Russia veto the decision, saying the international community should not take any action that would raise tensions in Myanmar. It is not an approach China favours. Myanmar’s U.N. ambassador said the country would never accept an ICC referral. China and Russia are both permanent members of the powerful UN Security Council, which gives them a veto over its resolutions. Voting with Washington were Britain, which co-sponsored the draft, France, Belgium, Italy, Ghana, Peru, Panama and Slovakia. It has an interest in protecting its investment, principally the oil and gas pipelines that stretch from Kunming in Yunnan province to the Bay of Bengal, giving China access to the Indian Ocean. Singapore: China has opposed sanctions “or other coercive measures” to stop the bloodshed in Myanmar following a meeting of the United Nations Security Council but the South-east Asian nation’s closest ally said it hoped for peace and a “democratic transition” following two months of killings. China's ambassador, Zhang Jun, said his country wanted to be a "friendly neighbour". The statement was not immediately adopted, however, and faces a steep hurdle in China’s reluctance to sign off on any criticism of Myanmar or the Tatmadaw. Schraner Burgener, a Swiss diplomat, used the gathering to warn that a “bloodbath is imminent” in Myanmar and urged the council to “consider all available tools to take collective action and do what is right”. On Thursday, Suu Kyi was also due to return to court via video link on a series of charges brought by the junta including illegal possession of six walkie-talkies, breaching of coronavirus restrictions and incitement of public unrest. However, a permanent member's abstention or absence does not prevent a draft resolution from being adopted. China, with Russia’s backing, shielded Myanmar from any significant council action after a brutal military crackdown in Rakhine State led to more than … China has blocked a statement by the United Nations Security Council condemning termination of democracy through a military coup in Myanmar. 03:08 Myanmar … China’s envoy, Wang Guangya, told reporters the United States acted like it was the only permanent council member. Credit:AP. As the United Nations grapples for a reaction to the military coup in Myanmar, both China and Russia, two veto-wielding permanent members of the UN Security Council (UNSC), refused to support a statement condemning the army takeover—a … It was hailed as a diplomatic achievement, but given the dire circumstances, it was a paltry substitute for action. ‘A bloodbath is imminent’ in Myanmar but China blocks UN sanctions. The military has run Myanmar since 1962, ignoring a 1990 landslide election victory by the National League for Democracy party led by Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel laureate, who has been in prison or under house arrest since then. Beijing has only used its veto four times in the past, the last time in February 1999 on extending a peacekeeping force in Macedonia because of the Balkan’s nation’s ties with Taiwan, over which China claims sovereignty. China–Myanmar relations (Chinese: 中缅关系; Burmese: တရုတ်မြန်မာဆက်ဆံရေး) refers to the international relations between the People's Republic of China and Myanmar.China and Myanmar have active bilateral relations with each other. Russia last used its veto in April 2004 on a Cyprus resolution for technical reasons. “Should Myanmar slide into protracted turbulence, it will be a disaster for Myanmar and the region as a whole,” ambassador Zhang Jun said. The military has run Myanmar in various forms since 1962 and no one has denied its abusive policies, which have been condemned by the 192-member General Assembly. Please try again later. It can be expected that China will use its veto power to prevent further sanctions on Myanmar at the UN Security Council. The news followed the announcement of a one-month ceasefire by Myanmar’s military regime offered to the country’s ethnic armed organisations, after air strikes in the borderlands forced villagers across the border to Thailand. “We hope that all parties in Myanmar can keep calm, exercise restraint, and take actions with a constructive attitude to de-escalate and cool down the situation. This was an effort to bring the situation to the attention of the world community and to send a clear signal that we have not forgotten you. The military junta of Myanmar took control of power in Myanmar on Monday arresting Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and hundred other parliamentarians. ... China’s veto … Lives and properties of the people of Myanmar and foreign nationals and businesses should be protected, and any attack on them is unacceptable.”. The United Nations Security Council "Veto power" refers to the power of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council (China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States) to veto any "substantive" resolution. “They have had 50 years of the most abject misery.”. UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - China and Russia on Friday vetoed a U.S. resolution calling on Myanmar’s military junta to stop persecution of minority and opposition groups, killing the measure in the U.N. Security Council. She was alluding to objections by several Council members including Russia, India, Vietnam and especially veto-wielding China, historically the main partner of Myanmar's military. The Council's statement was a diplomatic step forward as China and Russia had, until Wednesday, been willing to defend the actions of Myanmar's military junta, which seized power in … Business Insider Emails & … Selection of U.N. quotes after Myanmar measure vetoed. “One-sided pressure and calling for sanctions or other coercive measures will only aggravate tension and confrontation and further complicate the situation, which is by no means constructive,” China’s ambassador to the UN said. Chris Barrett is the south-east Asia correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. The United States, which has sanctioned coup leaders and family members, blacklisted military conglomerates and suspended all trade with Myanmar, would intensify pressure on the junta, said its ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas. However, diplomats say council veto powers China and Russia are likely to protect Myanmar from any action. “I hope some of our partners also learned some lessons in the course of this entire process,” Russia’s U.N. ambassador, Vitaly Churkin, said. It is one that has far eluded ASEAN despite Indonesia leading an attempt to resolve the crisis via the regional forum. Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. China not only was Myanmar’s largest trading partner and foreign investor, but also became its biggest regime supporter in the international community at this time. Russia and China have blocked UN actions regarding Myanmar in the past, having in 2007 vetoed a UN draft resolution that called on the country’s military regime at the time to release political prisoners and stop violating human rights. However, arriving at a consensus in that arena was always going to be challenging with China and Russia, who sent its deputy defence minister to rub shoulders with junta leader Min Aung Hlaing at a troop parade in the capital Naypyidaw last weekend, having veto power as permanent council members. If a veto is used again at the UN meeting, the people of Myanmar will do the same to CHINA!” they said. “China hopes that Myanmar will restore peace, stability and constitutional order as early as possible and continue to steadily advance democratic transition. UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - China and Russia on Friday vetoed a U.S. resolution calling on Myanmar’s military junta to stop persecution of minority … At least 536 victims including 43 children have been killed since the February 1 coup, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, which has been tracking deaths and detentions. China finally relented and the Security Council issued a diluted statement. “But it is a matter of principle ... whether this council is the appropriate body to address the problem of Myanmar.”. China’s ambassador to the UN, Zhang Jun, released a statement after Christine Schraner Burgener, the UN’s special envoy on Myanmar, implored the 15-member council to consider action “to prevent a multi-dimensional catastrophe in the heart of Asia”. Governments that permit arms transfers to Myanmar – including China, India, Israel, North Korea, the Philippines, Russia, and Ukraine – should immediately stop … China, Russia veto Myanmar resolution (Xinhua) Updated: 2007-01-13 10:46. China, Russia Veto Security Council Resolution on Myanmar Sought by United States - Volume 101 Issue 2 Moreover, thousands of Twitter users also warned Beijing, mentioning @MFA_China that “if you care about the safety of your gas pipeline, don’t cover the Myanmar junta with a veto. "We don't want to see instability, even chaos in Myanmar," he told reporters. Singapore: China has opposed sanctions “or other coercive measures” to stop the bloodshed in Myanmar following a meeting of the United Nations Security Council but the South-east Asian nation’s closest ally said it hoped for peace and a “democratic transition” following two months of … China’s downplaying of the gravity of the military takeover coupled with its reluctance to censure the junta indicate that—as in the past—it will stand by the Tatmadaw. “Myanmar must respond to the imperative of restoring democracy and respect for human rights -- that is a matter of principle,” Indonesian Ambassador Rezlan Ishar Jenie said. The escalation of brutality from the junta since the Armed Forces Day last Saturday led an “appalled” Britain to convene an emergency session of the Security Council on Wednesday (AEDT). 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