The UN Security Council has called upon all Member States “to prevent the flow of arms into Myanmar”. The resolution was passed with 119 votes, 36 abstentions, and one no vote – from Belarus.
ASEAN split their votes, ominously. Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines voted for the resolution. Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Brunei abstaining.
So, the flow of arms continues and the Myanmar junta uses them to kill their own citizens. China, India, and Russia supply more than 80 percent of those weapons. India was among the 36 countries that abstained on the resolution.
I am not the only person upset about this. Louis Charbonneau, UN director at Human Rights Watch, says it in clear language:
“Months of atrocities and grave human rights abuses by the junta’s security forces have shown time and again why no government should be sending them a single bullet. The UN Security Council should now step up and pass its own resolution imposing a global arms embargo on Myanmar.”
What is wrong with us? Why do we allow these criminals to butcher their own citizens just because they refuse to let the dream of a democratic future die? A dream that we – the whole world – helped them establish!
How disgusting is it, that we not only look the other way but allow these big bullies to profiteer on crushing this fledgling democracy!
A friend of mine has tried to lecture me that an arms embargo would have little effect, because the light weapons that are used to kill the resistance fighters in Myanmar are locally produced. I don’t see how this makes it more acceptable to keep sending more guns to these tyrants.
He shrugged his shoulders.
What do you think about that?
