UN expresses 'strong concern' for Myanmar after police fires rubber bullets at protesters

The United Nations (UN) in Myanmar on Tuesday expressed 'strong concern' regarding the use of 'disproportionate force' by the military against the demonstrators, calling on the security forces to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms in the country. 

Issuing an official statement, Ola Almgren, UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator in Myanmar said, "I call on the Security Forces to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression. The use of disproportionate force against demonstrators is unacceptable."

The UN envoy also cited the words of United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres urging the military to respect the will of the people and to adhere to democratic norms.

Myanmar on February 8 witnessed one of its largest protests since the 2007 pro-democracy revolution as tens of thousands of people stormed the streets of Yangon to oppose the recent military coup. Demonstrators were seen wearing red bandanas, holding red flags and balloons in support of jailed leader Aung San Suu Kyi. However, the demonstrations were strongly snubbed by the Myanmar Police who used teargas and rubber bullets against the citizens. 

Read: Myanmar Crisis: Aung San Suu Kyi In ‘good Health’ Under House Arrest, Says NLD Official

Read: Myanmar Army General Justifies Coup Citing 'voter Fraud' As Demonstrations Grow

Myanmar Coup

On February 1, the Burmese military forcibly detained democratically elected members of the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) party including State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, President Win Myint and other members of the Parliament. Later, the military declared a State of Emergency for one year with Myanmar Army's Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing taking charge of the country. The coup occurred a day before Myanmar's newly elected members of Parliament were supposed to be sworn-in. 

Justifying the coup, the military claimed that Suu Kyi's party had won the November 2020 election through an 'election fraud', after she secured a landslide victory capturing 396 out of 476 seats in the parliament. Even though the mandate was much larger than in the 2015 polls, the election had been monitored by international observers who certified it as "fair".

Experts suggest the military feared that if Suu Kyi returns to power with a bigger majority, she would decrease the number of parliamentary seats reserved for the Army's proxy party. This, after Suu Kyi promised to amend the constitution, announcing that the military representation in the parliament will be substantially reduced in the coming decade. As per the laws drafted in 2011, the military enjoys 25% of the parliamentary seats reserved for itself. 

Read: EXPLAINER: How Are The Myanmar Protests Being Organized?

Read: Myanmar Witnesses Massive Protests Demanding Aung San Suu Kyi's Release