CONCLUDING SPECIAL SESSION ON MYANMAR, HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL DEPLORES REMOVAL OF ELECTED GOVERNMENT

The Human Rights Council today adopted a resolution in which it deplored the removal of the Government elected by the people of Myanmar in the general election held on 8 November 2020, and the suspension of mandates of members of all parliaments, and called for the restoration of the elected Government.

In a resolution A/HRC/S-297l.1 on the human rights implications of the crisis in Myanmar, adopted without a vote, the Council deplored the removal of the Government elected by the people of Myanmar in the general election held on 8 November 2020, and the suspension of mandates of members of all parliaments, and called for the restoration of the elected Government. The Council also called urgently for the immediate and unconditional release of all persons arbitrarily detained, including State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint and others, and the lifting of the state of emergency, and stressed the need to refrain from violence and fully respect human rights, fundamental freedoms and the rule of law.

The Council strongly called upon the Myanmar military and other security forces and authorities to take steps immediately to protect the rights to freedom of opinion and expression, religion or belief, association and peaceful assembly in accordance with international human rights law, and to ensure that members of civil society organizations and the media are able to operate freely and without fear of violence, harassment or intimidation. The Council also called for the immediate lifting of restrictions on the Internet, telecommunication and social media, in accordance with international human rights law.

The Council further requested the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar to assess the current human rights situation in Myanmar, and to provide updates in their reports to the Human Rights Council, and called upon Myanmar authorities to engage and cooperate with United Nations human rights mechanisms, and further requested the Secretary-General to provide increased assistance and the resources and expertise necessary to enable them to discharge the mandate fully.

This was the twenty-ninth special session of the Council.

The forty-sixth regular session of the Human Rights Council will take place from 22 February to 23 March 2021.

HRC21.004E