The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, called on Monday 8 November for an immediate end to all hostilities and the “disproportionate” use of force in Myanmar.
“The EU reiterates its calls for an immediate cessation of all hostilities and the disproportionate use of force witnessed in recent days”, he said in a statement on behalf of the Member States.
The High Representative highlighted serious concerns about the current military build-up in the central and northwestern parts of the country and the resulting escalation of violence, particularly in Chin State.
The EU also condemned in the strongest terms the attacks by the army on civilians and villages in the state, including the use of torture, sexual violence, arbitrary detention and the destruction of private property and religious sites, “which are blatant violations of human rights and international law and call for justice and accountability”.
According to Mr Borrell, the escalation of violence by the armed forces runs counter to the commitments made at the ASEAN summit in April, which set out the ‘Five-Point Consensus’, the “immediate and full” implementation of which the EU continues to call for. He also strongly condemned the serious human rights violations committed by the armed forces since then.
In addition, the High Representative warned that the military authorities must ensure rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access to all internally displaced persons and people in need throughout the country. For its part, the EU will continue to provide humanitarian assistance, and it is deeply concerned about the combined effects of the conflict, food insecurity and Covid-19 on the population.
See the statement: https://bit.ly/3CVUmX7 (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)