**Myanmar

In a statement, the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Myanmar, Christine Schraner Burgener, said she remains deeply disturbed by ongoing violence committed by the country’s security forces.

Tomorrow, Armed Forces Day, marks Myanmar’s liberation from foreign power.  The Special Envoy said that ensuring peace and defending the people should be the responsibility of any military, but in Myanmar, the Tatmadaw has turned against its own citizens.  Women, youth and children have been among those killed.

The Special Envoy calls for the release of all those detained, including President U Win Myint and State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

As Myanmar’s Thingyan New Year approaches in April, the Special Envoy appeals for basic rights and democratic norms to be upheld in the greater interest of the nation’s prosperity under civilian rule.

The Special Envoy will continue to amplify the Secretary-General’s call for a firm, unified international response, bilaterally and collectively towards the restoration of the democratically elected Government of Myanmar.  She also supports the Security Council’s calls for a peaceful solution through constructive dialogue and practical reconciliation in the interests of the people of Myanmar.

Also on Myanmar, the World Health Organization (WHO) in the country strongly condemns attacks on health-care providers and sites since the military takeover on the 1st of February.

WHO says that, between 1 February and 24 March, there have been 32 attacks on health-care facilities and staff, resulting in two deaths and six injuries.  Dozens of facilities and several ambulances have been affected in 12 states and regions.

WHO says the continuing use of force against health-care workers, including the reported occupation by security forces in hospitals, is taking a devastating toll on Myanmar’s health system.

As the WHO Director General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has said, the destruction of health facilities and attacks on health workers must stop.  Now more than ever, health workers, health supplies and health facilities must be supported, functioning and serving all people, he has stressed.

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