HRC51 - NB8 statement - Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar (oral progress report)

Human Rights Council – 51st session

Item 4 - Interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar (oral progress report)

Nordic – Baltic Statement, delivered by Sweden

21 September 2022

Mr President,

I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the Nordic-Baltic States.

Thank you, Special Rapporteur, for your update and tireless efforts.

Since the military coup last year, a complete human rights catastrophe has unfolded in Myanmar.

We continue to condemn the coup in the strongest of terms and call for an immediate end to all forms of violence, including mass killings, torture, including of children, and sexual and gender-based violence. The systematic persecution must stop.

We condemn the politically motivated executions of four persons and call on the military to reinstate the de facto moratorium on the death penalty. All those arbitrarily detained, including political prisoners, including children and minors, must be immediately and unconditionally released.

It is of utmost importance to ensure justice for victims and accountability for past and ongoing serious international crimes, including for the atrocities committed against the Rohingya. 

Since the coup, the country has plunged into a humanitarian crisis that threatens the lives and wellbeing of millions. Full, safe, and unimpeded humanitarian access must be ensured.

Special Rapporteur,

At this stage, what measures can the international community, including regional actors and the UN, take to prevent the military from continuing its violence against its own people?