GENEVA: The United Nations main human rights body is set to consider a resolution on Friday, drafted by Britain and the European Union, that would condemn the military coup in Myanmar and demand urgent access to the country, a text seen by Reuters shows.
But China and Russia – members of the Human Rights Council with ties to Myanmar’s military – raised concerns in a public meeting this week over “virtual voting” at the Geneva forum, required because of the pandemic.
The U.N. Security Council last week called for the release of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi and others detained by the military but stopped short of condemning the coup.
Protesters took to the streets of Myanmar for a fifth day on Wednesday, vowing to keep up demonstrations against last week’s coup even after a woman was shot and critically wounded during clashes the previous day.
“It’s all a matter of time until there is a big scale confrontation,” a U.N. official, who declined to be identified, told Reuters.
Britain announced on Monday that it was calling for the special session of the rights council and would present a draft resolution with the EU.
Their draft – circulating among diplomats amid heavy lobbying – has formal support from 19 members, including Japan and South Korea, at the 47-member forum, it said.
The text condemns the ousting of the civilian government and calls for its restoration and the unconditional release of those “arbitrarily detained”. It urges the military to refrain from using violence against peaceful protesters, while demanding it ensures freedom of expression and an open Internet.
Thomas Andrews, the U.N. investigator on human rights in Myanmar, should be granted urgent and “unrestricted” access, it says.
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