Madam President,

The European Union thanks the Special Rapporteur for his oral update as requested by this Council last March. The EU attaches critical importance to your mandate, Mr. Andrews, and would like to acknowledge your continued efforts to document the human rights situation on the ground. We call on Myanmar to resume immediate cooperation with your mandate and grant unrestricted access throughout the country.

The EU shares your serious concerns, Mr. Andrews, about the worsening human rights situation in Myanmar, following the military coup on 1 February, which the EU continues to condemn in the strongest terms. Since the coup, the Myanmar junta and its security forces have increased their brutal repression of peaceful protests across the country, leaving large scores of unarmed citizens dead or wounded.  The escalation of military attacks against citizens, including those belonging to ethnic minorities, has resulted in an unprecedented number of displaced persons since the 2016 events in Rakhine state.  .

Through its actions, the security forces have shown a blatant disregard for international law, and must be held to account. Violence will not give legitimacy to the illegal over-throwing of the democratically-elected Government.

The EU reiterates its calls to the Myanmar armed forces: These acts of violence against the people of Myanmar must stop and the rights of Myanmar citizens must be guaranteed.

The five-point consensus reached at the Leaders’ Meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Jakarta on 24 April is a positive and important first step to begin a process of de-escalation and the return to the democratic transition in Myanmar/Burma. The European Union underlines the need for their swift and faithful implementation.

In this regard, how do you see, Mr. Andrews, the cooperation between your mandate and the Special Envoy due to be appointed under the five point consensus?

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