| In Burma
Coup More Death As UN Envoy AWOL & SC
Censored Under UK Woodward
By Matthew
Russell Lee, Patreon
BBC
- Guardian
UK - Honduras
- ESPN
UN GATE, Feb 14 –
The United States, responding
to the coup in Burma, is
reviewing all of its programs
that benefit the Burmese
military.
The review should
hurry up, as should efforts to
improve the UN's performance
and end its censorship under
Antonio Guterres. Myanmar
Police in Naypyidaw shot
19-year-old student Myat Thet
Thet Khaing in the head while
she positioned herself with
other protesters behind a
protective barricade. A family
member confirmed her death
online. Mobile-phone
footage - here,
h/t - of the incident
shows police firing weapons in
the direction of protesters,
and a gunshot rings out as
Myat Thet Thet Khaing drops to
the ground."
Now,
belatedly, Guterres who failed
on the Rohingya is trying to
parley this to get an
UNmerited second term: "The
Secretary-General is deeply
concerned about the situation
in Myanmar, including the
increasing use of force and
the reported deployment of
additional armoured vehicles
to major cities. He calls on
Myanmar’s military and police
to ensure the right of
peaceful assembly is fully
respected and demonstrators
are not subjected to
reprisals. Reports of
continued violence,
intimidation and harassment by
security personnel are
unacceptable.
Ongoing arrests of political
leaders, government officials,
civil society actors and media
representatives are deeply
concerning as are the
restrictions on internet and
communication services. They
must not be disrupted to
ensure the right to freedom of
expression, which includes
access to
information.
The Secretary-General
reiterates his call on Member
States collectively and
bilaterally to exercise
influence regarding the
protection of the human rights
and fundamental freedoms of
the people of
Myanmar.
The Secretary-General
reaffirms the unwavering
support of the United Nations
to the people of Myanmar in
their pursuit of democracy,
peace, human rights and the
rule of
law.
The Secretary-General calls on
the military authorities
urgently to allow the Special
Envoy, Ms. Christine Schraner
Burgener, to visit Myanmar
under agreeable conditions and
to assess the situation first
hand." So where has she been?
While the
US State Department official
on February 2, on background,
described sanctions on
businesses tied to military
figures being considered,
there is no chance of UNSC
sanctions, give for example
China's veto right.
But the United Kingdom as
President of the UNSC for
February did not even push to
have the Tuesday meeting be
open, and UK Ambassador
Barbara Woodward on February 1
banned the Press - which was
given access to Tuesday's
background briefing - from her
UN "press" conference (at
which not a single question on
Africa, for example, was
taken).
Here was
and is Inner City Press'
question to the UK, as UNSC
President: ""on
deadline, for
UK's response
to current
developments
in Myanmar /
Burma. Please
confirm
receipt." This
was sent on
January 31 to
PR Barbara Woodward,
Jaclyn Licht,
Sorcha Lowry
and Isabella
Olex; no
answer from
them or
"spokesman"
Mungo
Woodifield.
Later
at the
February 2 US
State
Department
briefing,
Spokesman Ned
Price said,
"When it comes
to Burma,
look, I don’t
think the
military
takeover, the
military coup,
is in the
interest –
it’s certainly
not in our
interest.
It’s certainly
not in the
interest of
our likeminded
partners.
I think you
will also find
that it’s not
in the
interest of
the
Chinese.
So our first
concern, of
course, is the
restoration of
civilian
leadership in
Burma.
Our concern,
consistent
with that, is
ensuring that
as we
undertake this
review, now
that we have
determined
that a coup
has taken
place on
February 1st,
the
civilian-led
government has
been deposed
by the
military – our
first concern
as we do that
review will be
to ensure that
of the $135
million we
contribute
annually to
the people of
Burma, that we
don’t do
anything that
would affect
the
long-suffering
people of
Burma,
including the
Rohingya in
this case." Inner
City Press will have more on
this.
***
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