UN Calls for Member States To ’Prevent the Flow of Arms’ Into Myanmar

By Staff, Agencies

The United Nations [UN] General Assembly on Friday took a rare step of calling on member states to "prevent the flow of arms" into Myanmar, part of a non-binding resolution condemning the military coup in the violence-wracked country.

The resolution was approved by 119 countries, with 36 abstaining, including China, Myanmar's main ally. Only one country, Belarus, voted against it.

This came on the same day that the Security Council was holding informal talks on the situation in the Southeast Asian nation, where the military ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi on February 1.

The resolution was not passed by consensus, as had been hoped, but rather through a vote, forcing all 193 UN countries to reveal their views.

In a quirk of history, Myanmar's envoy to the world body, Kyaw Moe Tun, voted in favor of the text. He has passionately rejected the coup and brushed aside the junta's claims that he no longer represents Myanmar.