U.S. State Department Secretary Antony Blinken has called the United Nations Security Council resolution passed Wednesday calling for an end to the violence in Burma an «important step».
«This is an important step by the Security Council to address the crisis and end the Burmese military regime’s increasing repression and violence against civilians,» Blinken explained after welcoming the adoption of the resolution.
Blinken noted that this decision «sends a strong message from the international community that the regime must end its violence throughout the country, release arbitrarily detained prisoners, allow unimpeded humanitarian access, protect members of minority groups, and respect the will and democratic aspirations of the people of Burma.»
However, the State Department Secretary has qualified that this measure is not sufficient to «promote a just solution to the crisis» in the Asian country».
For this reason, he urged the Security Council to «seize this opportunity to seek additional ways» to promote the transition to democracy or to promote justice.
Blinken concluded that Washington remains committed to working with the United Nations and international partners «to end the violence in Burma by seeking a peaceful reconciliation of the crisis.
The resolution, sponsored by the British mission to the United Nations, calls for the release of all political prisoners, including the country’s former de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi and former President Win Myint, detained after the February 1 coup d’état.
The text also calls for an end to attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, respect for human rights and accountability for those who violate them, as well as «full and unimpeded» humanitarian access to the population in need.
In addition, the resolution, voted by 12 countries – China and Russia abstained – calls for an information session of UN Secretary-General António Guterres in March, according to the British mission to the UN.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
