A proposed UN resolution on Myanmar condemns military attacks on civilians and urges peace efforts

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Britain circulated a wide-ranging United Nations resolution on Myanmar urging renewed peace efforts, condemning attacks on civilians — especially by the Myanmar military — and calling for a halt to illicit arms transfers.

The draft resolution obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press expresses “alarm at the increased violence across Myanmar,” which is engulfed in civil war between the military-led regime and resistance forces.

It calls for “safe, rapid, and unhindered humanitarian access at scale,” expressing “grave concern” at the deteriorating humanitarian situation and restrictions on humanitarian access in the country that led to rising food insecurity and hunger.

The proposed resolution warns that the current situation has the potential to further exacerbate discrimination, ethnically motivated violence, violations of international humanitarian law, human rights abuses, and conflict-related sexual violence.

Myanmar’s military ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi on Feb. 1, 2021. It was the day Parliament was to reconvene following November 2020 elections, which her National League for Democracy party won overwhelmingly — an outcome the military claims without evidence was based on fraud. Suu Kyi and party members remain under arrest.

The takeover was met with massive public opposition, which has since turned into armed resistance and civil war.

The military regime now faces its greatest challenge from the ethnic minority militias and people’s defense forces who support the main opposition and have captured wide swaths of territory in fierce fighting in recent months.

The draft resolution stresses the central role of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the 10-country bloc whose