Anjali Sharma
GG News Bureau
UNITED NATIONS, 5th April. UN Assistant Secretary-General for political, peacebuilding affairs and peace operations Khalid Khiari on Thursday briefed the members of the Security Council on the escalation of the conflict in Myanmar, over 3 years after the Junta took over is severely affecting people across the country with spillover effects in the region.
Mr. Khalid Khiari said that the expansion of fighting throughout the country has deprived communities of basic needs and access to essential services and has had a devastating impact on human rights and fundamental freedoms.
The Council met on Myanmar since the military seized power from the democratically elected government on 1 February 2021, members adopted a resolution on the crisis in December 2022.
UN chief António Guterres has called for the release of President Win Myint, State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and others who remain in detention.
Mr. Khiari said that amid reports of indiscriminate aerial bombardments by the Myanmar Armed Forces and artillery shelling by various parties, the civilian toll keeps rising.
He reported on the situation in Rakhine state, the poorest region in mainly Buddhist Myanmar and home to the Rohingya, a predominantly Muslim ethnic community who are stateless.
Over 1 million members have escaped to Bangladesh after waves of persecution, he said.
Khalid Khiari stated that in Rakhine, fighting between the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army, a separatist group, has reached an unprecedented level of violence, compounding pre-existing vulnerabilities.
The Arakan Army has gained territorial control over most of the centre and seeks to expand to the north, where many Rohingya remain.
“Addressing the root causes of the Rohingya crisis will be essential to establish a sustainable pathway out of the current crisis. The failure to do so and continued impunity will only keep fuelling Myanmar’s vicious cycle of violence,” he said.
Mr. Khiari highlighted the alarming surge in Rohingya refugees who are dying or going missing while taking risky boat journeys in the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal.
He said any solution to the current crisis requires conditions that permit the people of Myanmar to exercise their human rights freely and peacefully, and an end to the military’s campaign of violence and political repression is a vital step.
“In this respect, the Secretary-General has highlighted concern about the military’s intention to move ahead with elections amid intensifying conflict and human rights violations across the country,” he added.
Mr. Khiari said Myanmar’s crisis continues to spillover as conflicts in key border areas have weakened transnational security and the breakdown in the rule of law has allowed illicit economies to thrive.
Myanmar is an epicentre of methamphetamine and opium production alongside a rapid expansion of global cyberscam operations, particularly in border areas, he warned.
“With scarce livelihood opportunities, criminal networks continue to prey on the increasingly vulnerable population,” he said.
“What began as a regional crime threat in Southeast Asia is now a rampant human trafficking and illicit trade crisis with global implications.”
Mr. Khiari upheld the UN commitment to staying and delivering in solidarity with the people of Myanmar.
He stressed the need for greater international unity and support.
Khalid Khiari said the UN will continue to work in complement with the regional bloc, ASEAN, and actively engage with all stakeholders.
“As the prolonged crisis deepens, the Secretary-General continues to call for a unified international response and encourages Member States, particularly neighboring countries, to leverage their influence to open up humanitarian channels in line with international principles, end the violence and seek a comprehensive political solution that leads to an inclusive and peaceful future for Myanmar,” he said.
The humanitarian impacts of the crisis are significant and deeply concerning, he told the Council.
Lise Doughten of the UN humanitarian affairs office, OCHA said some 2.8 million people in Myanmar are now displaced, 90 per cent since the military takeover.
People “are living in daily fear for their lives”, especially since a national law on mandatory conscription became effective earlier this year. Their ability to access essential goods and services and to cope is stretched to its limit, she added.
Some 12.9 million people a quarter of the population are facing food insecurity. Basic medicines are running out, the health system is in turmoil and education has been severely interrupted. Around one third of all school-aged children are currently out of the classroom.
The crisis is disproportionately impacting women and girls, 9.7 million of whom are in need of humanitarian assistance, with the escalating violence increasing their vulnerability and exposure to trafficking and gender-based violence.
Humanitarians estimate that 18.6 million people across Myanmar will need assistance this year, a 20-fold increase since February 2021.
Ms. Doughten called for increased funding to support their operations, safe and unimpeded access to people in need and safe conditions for aid workers.
“Intensified armed conflict, administrative restrictions and violence against aid workers all remain key barriers that are limiting humanitarian assistance from reaching vulnerable people,” she said.
She warned that as the conflict continues to escalate, humanitarian needs intensify, and with the monsoon season approaching, time is of the essence for the people of Myanmar.
Lise Doughten said “They cannot afford for us to forget; they cannot afford to wait.”
She concluded “They need the support of the international community now to help them survive in this time of fear and turmoil.”
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