CAMEROON, Cameroon 鈥� The U.N. special envoy for Myanmar warned Wednesday that the country faces the possibility of civil war 鈥渁t an unprecedented scale鈥� and urged the U.N. Security Council to consider 鈥減otentially significant action鈥� to reverse the Feb. 1 military coup and restore democracy.
Christine Schraner Burgener didn鈥檛 specify what action she considered significant, but she painted a dire picture of the military crackdown and told the council in a closed briefing that Myanmar 鈥渋s on the verge of spiraling into a failed state.鈥�
鈥淭his could happen under our watch,鈥� she said in a virtual presentation obtained by The Associated Press, 鈥渁nd failure to prevent further escalation of atrocities will cost the world so much more in the longer term than investing now in prevention, especially by Myanmar鈥檚
Schraner Burgener urged the council 鈥渢o consider all available tools to take collective action鈥� and do what the people of Myanmar deserve 鈥� 鈥減revent a multidimensional catastrophe in the heart of Asia.鈥�
A proposed press statement from the council was not issued after the meeting because China, a close
Chinese Ambassador Zhang Jun warned the council in remarks distributed by China鈥檚 U.N. Mission that 鈥渙ne-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.鈥�
He urged all parties to find a solution through dialogue that de-escalates the situation and continues 鈥渢o advance the democratic transition in Myanmar,鈥� warning that if the country slides 鈥渋nto protracted turbulence, it will be a disaster for Myanmar and the region as a whole.鈥�
The coup reversed years of slow progress toward democracy in Myanmar, which for five decades had languished under strict military rule that led to international isolation and sanctions. As the generals loosened their grip, culminating in Aung San Suu Kyi鈥檚 rise to leadership in 2015 elections, the international community responded by lifting most sanctions and pouring investment into the country.
In the virtual meeting, Schraner Burgener denounced the killing and arrest of unarmed protesters seeking to restore democracy. She cited figures from Myanmar鈥檚 Assistance Association for Political Prisoners that as of Wednesday, some 2,729 people have been arrested, charged or sentenced since the coup and an estimated 536 have been killed.
The Security Council adopted a presidential statement -- one step below a resolution -- on March 10 calling for a reversal of the coup, strongly condemning the violence against peaceful protesters and calling for 鈥渦tmost restraint鈥� by the military. It stressed the need to uphold 鈥渄emocratic institutions and processes鈥� and called for the immediate release of detained government leaders including Suu Kyi and President Win Myint.
The statement is weaker than the initial draft circulated by the United Kingdom, which would have condemned the coup and threatened 鈥減ossible measures under the U.N. Charter鈥� -- U.N. language for sanctions -- 鈥渟hould the situation deteriorate further.鈥�
Stressing the urgency of action, Schraner Burgener told council members she fears that serious international crimes and violations of international law by the military 鈥渨ill become bloodier as the commander-in-chief seems determined to solidify his unlawful grip on power by force.鈥�
鈥淢ediation requires dialogue, but Myanmar鈥檚 military has shut its doors to most of the world,鈥� she said at the virtual meeting. 鈥淚t appears the military would only engage when it feels they are able to contain the situation through repression and terror.鈥�
鈥淚f we wait only for when they are ready to talk,鈥� Schraner Burgener warned that 鈥渁 bloodbath is imminent.鈥�
The U.N. envoy called on those with access to the military, known as the Tatmadaw, to let them know the damage to Myanmar鈥檚 reputation and the threat it poses not only to its citizens but to the security of
鈥淎 robust international response requires a unified regional position, especially with
Schraner Burgener said intensification of fighting in Kayin State has sent thousands fleeing to
Armed ethnic groups on Myanmar鈥檚 eastern and western borders are also increasingly speaking out against 鈥渢he brutality of the military,鈥� she said.
The opposition of ethnic armed groups to 鈥渢he military鈥檚 cruelty ... (is) increasing the possibility of civil war at an unprecedented scale,鈥� Schraner Burgener warned.
鈥淎lready vulnerable groups requiring humanitarian assistance including ethnic minorities and the Rohingya people will suffer most,鈥� she said, 鈥渂ut inevitably, the whole country is on the verge of spiraling into a failed state.鈥�
Democratically elected representatives to Myanmar鈥檚 National Assembly who formed a committee known by its initials CRPH sent a letter to Guterres and to Britain鈥檚 U.N. ambassador Wednesday urging the Security Council to impose 鈥渞obust, targeted sanctions that freeze the assets of not only military leaders but also military enterprises and the junta鈥檚 major sources of revenue, such as the oil and gas sector.鈥�
CRPH also urged the council to impose an arms embargo against the military, facilitate humanitarian assistance including cross-border aid, refer the situation in Myanmar to the International Criminal Court 鈥渢o investigate and prosecute atrocity crimes committed by the military, including genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity,鈥� and consider whether there is a need to protect Myanmar鈥檚 people from such crimes.
British Ambassador Barbara Woodward, who called for the council meeting, said afterward that 鈥渨e will continue to discuss next steps with other council members" to prevent the military 鈥渇rom perpetuating this crisis."
鈥淲e want to consider all measures that are at our disposal," she said, which include sanctions.
U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield told reporters before the council meeting that if the military don鈥檛 go back to their barracks and continue to attack civilians 鈥渨e can鈥檛 just step back and allow this to happen.鈥�
鈥淭hen, we have to look at how we might do more,鈥� she said.
Russia鈥檚 deputy U.N. ambassador, Dmitry Polyansky, told reporters Tuesday that all council members want the violence to stop and a restoration of dialogue and national unity. But he accused some countries and media outlets of 鈥渋nciting the protesters to continue their protests,鈥� which amounts to interfering in Myanmar鈥檚 internal affairs.
鈥淩ussia is not a big fan of sanctions鈥� and 鈥減unitive measures,鈥� Polyansky said, 鈥淲e shouldn鈥檛 overstep this very thin line between trying to help and interfering into the internal affairs of sovereignty.鈥�
Edith M. Lederer, The Associated Press
