UN Security Council Adopts First Ever Myanmar Resolution

By Staff, Agencies

The UN Security Council called for Myanmar's junta to release Aung San Suu Kyi Wednesday as it adopted its first ever resolution on the situation in the turmoil-ridden Southeast Asian country.

The 15-member Council has been split on Myanmar for decades and was previously only able to agree on formal statements about the country, which has been under military rule since February 2021.

Suu Kyi, 77, has been a prisoner since the army toppled her government almost two years ago and violently cracked down on dissent.

Wednesday's resolution "urges" the junta to "immediately release all arbitrarily detained prisoners," including Suu Kyi and ex-president Win Myint. It also demands "an immediate end to all forms of violence" and asks for "all parties to respect human rights, fundamental freedoms and the rule of law."

Three countries abstained from the vote – Russia, China and India. The other 12 UNSC members voted in favor of Resolution 2669.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken praised the resolution while cautioning that the Council has more work to do in regards to resolving the conflict in Myanmar. "While we applaud the adoption of this resolution, the Council still has much more work to do to advance a just solution to the crisis," Blinken said.

The US still refers to the country as Burma. The name was changed to Myanmar by the military government in 1989.

The body's only other resolution regarding the country was in 1948 when the UN accepted its membership.