The people of Burma have been ruthlessly oppressed and murdered by the SPDC for decades while the world has turned their eyes from this diabolical violence, and in so doing, submerged their conscience. The world is now looking Burma squarely in the eyes, and the time for change is now.
The recent oppression and killing of peaceful protesters by the Burmese government was not an unusual government activity, but rather fully in character for a government that has slaughtered ethnic minorities since they violently and illegally forced their way into power nearly two decades ago. They have used as forced labor, starved, beat, and killed the men, women, children and elderly of Burma while displacing over 3,000 villages. The time to stop the violence is now.
Security Council Demands
We believe that addressing the violence in Burma is not outside the Security Council mandate, nor would Security Council action conflict with efforts of other UN bodies such as the Human Rights Council, International Organization for Migration and the World Health Organization, as suggested by China and Russia. Rather, consistency with Security Council mandates require action in Burma, and a security council resolution is necessary for other UN organizations to work more productively. For example, if the Human Rights Council adopted a resolution it would not be able to address the situation in Myanmar while the Security Council remained seized with the matter.
Continued waiting, as the UN did in Darfur and Rwanda, will bring continued immeasurable suffering. Given the fact that the SPDC will likely continue in violence and preventing a democratic process, and the ruling generals have failed to cooperate with the UN Secretary General and his special envoy, who is mandated to facilitate a political dialogue, it is time for the United Nations Security Council to address the situation in Burma.
We call on the United Nations Security Council to respond to the current crisis by urgently passing a binding resolution, with clear timelines and benchmarks requiring the regime to do the following:
Release all political prisoners, including democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi
Desist from violence against peaceful protesters, civilians, ethnic minorities and prisoners
Revoke the constitutional guidelines drawn up by "national convention"
Begin specific, clear, meaningful movement toward real democracy, including facilitated dialogue with all groups, including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and her party
Begin arranging for free and fair new elections in partnership with other parties
Allow aid agencies unhindered access to respond to the immediate needs of displaced and severely impoverished peoples inside of Burma
For all people of Burma, make significant new strides toward addressing poverty, poor health care, low education standards, environmental degradation
Allow UN representatives full and free access to verify progress toward meeting these objectives
