Stop funding junta, start imposing international arms embargo, says UN Special Rapporteur as Myanmar military’s response to peaceful protests “meets legal threshold for crimes against humanity”

Member States of the United Nations should cease funding the Myanmar military junta and begin imposing an international arms embargo against the Tatmadaw, as its response to peaceful protests have met “the legal threshold for crimes against humanity”, said a UN expert.

In a statement on Friday (12 Mar), the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, Tom Andrews said that “a growing body of reporting indicates that the junta’s security forces are committing acts of murder, imprisonment, persecution and other crimes as part of a coordinated campaign, directed against a civilian population, in a widespread and systematic manner, with the knowledge of the junta’s leadership”.

With the UN Security Council seemingly unwilling to invoke its Chapter VII authority, Andrews said Member States must rally together to take action.

“Today, I am therefore urging that as many Member States as possible commit to taking strong, decisive and coordinated action as a coalition of nations – an Emergency Coalition for the People of Myanmar,” he said.

In a statement to the Council, Andrews outlined five options that such a coalition could take immediately, namely:

• Stoping the flow of funds to the junta, including by imposing targeted sanctions on the junta’s business enterprises and on Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise, the single largest source of revenue to the State of Myanmar;
• Imposing an international arms embargo;
• Ensuring accountability for the crimes, through national courts using universal jurisdiction if the Security Council is unwilling to refer the matter to the International Criminal Court;
• Working directly with local civil society and aid organisations to provide humanitarian assistance whenever possible; and
• Denying recognition of the military junta as the legitimate government representing the people of Myanmar.

“The people of Myanmar need not only words of support but supportive action,” said Andrews.

Among entities that are disengaging from from Myanmar and from military-affiliated enterprises since the coup, the UN noted, are Malaysian multinational telecommunications group Axiata Group’s subsidiary, edotco Group, which owns 3,150 towers in Myanmar, some of which are leased to MEC-owned Mytel.

Axiata has since put off plans to sell its US$500 million stake in edotco.

Multiple firms from Singapore were also listed, such as Coda Pay, which provided cardless payment services to Mytel. Coda has since removed Mytel from its portfolio of payment channels.

Shipping and logistics firm Transworld Group Singapore previously used Ahlone International Port Terminal 1, which is owned by Myanmar Economic Corporation.

Transworld Group will no longer use military-owned ports in Yangon.

Anti-drone firm TRD Singapore sold its Orion-7 drone signal disruptor to the Myanmar police previously.

Following the coup, however, it cancelled a deal to sell its anti-drone products to Yangon International Airport and will not supply Myanmar with anti-drone products while under the regime.

Razer co-founder Lim Kaling owned a one-third stake in RMH Singapore Pte. Ltd., which operates joint venture Virginia Tobacco Company with Myanmar Economic Holdings Limited.

He decided to dispose of his stock in the company and exit the investment in response to the coup.