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China has blocked a UN Security Council statement condemning the military coup in Myanmar.
The military seized power in the Southeast Asian nation on Monday after arresting political leader Aung San Suu Kyi and hundreds of other lawmakers.
The coup leaders have since formed a supreme council that will sit above the cabinet.
In Myanmar’s largest city, Yangon, however, signs of resistance and civil disobedience have increased.
Doctors and medical staff in dozens of hospitals across the country are stopping work to protest the coup and to press for the release of Ms. Suu Kyi.
The United Nations Security Council met on Tuesday but failed to agree on a joint statement after China failed to back it. China has the veto power as one of the five permanent members of the council.
Ahead of the talks, UN Special Envoy to Myanmar Christine Schraner strongly condemned the military takeover after the military refused to accept the outcome of the general election held in November.
She said it was clear that “the recent election result was a landslide victory” for Ms. Suu Kyi’s party.
In other reviews, the Group of Seven major economic powers said it was “deeply concerned” and called for the return of democracy.
“We call on the military to immediately end the state of emergency, restore power to the democratically elected government, release all those who are unjustly detained, and respect human rights and the rule of law.” , indicates the press release published in London. The G7 includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom and United States.
Why has China blocked UN action?
China has warned since the coup that international sanctions or pressure will only make matters worse in Myanmar.
Beijing has long played a role in protecting the country from international control. He considers the country to be economically important and one of Myanmar’s closest allies.
Along with Russia, he has repeatedly shielded Myanmar from UN criticism of the military crackdown on the Rohingya Muslim minority.
“Beijing’s position on the situation is consistent with its general skepticism of international intervention,” Sebastian Strangio, Southeast Asia author and editor-in-chief, told the Diplomat.
If China is strategically profiting from Myanmar’s alienation from the west, that doesn’t mean Beijing is happy with the coup, he warns.
“They had a pretty good arrangement with the NLD and invested a lot to build a relationship with Aung San Suu Kyi. The return of the military actually means that China must now deal with the Myanmar institution which is historically most suspect of China’s intentions.
“Through this foreign policy equivalent of gas lighting, China seems to signal its tacit, if not categorical, support for the actions of the generals,” Burmese University expert Elliott Prasse-Freeman told the BBC. Singapore National.
“China appears to be proceeding as if this is Myanmar’s ‘internal problem’ in which what we are seeing is a ‘cabinet reshuffle,’ as Chinese state media put it.
If he thinks that a United Nations declaration would not have made an immediate difference, it would still serve as “the first step towards the coherence of an international response.” It does not seem to happen ”.
Where is Aung San Suu Kyi?
Aung San Suu Kyi, who headed the now ousted elected government, has not been seen since she was arrested by the military on Monday morning.
Dozens of others are also still detained, including President Win Myint, members of her party’s central committee and her personal lawyer. They would be placed under house arrest.
His National League for Democracy (NLD) demanded his immediate release on Tuesday. He also called on the military to accept the results of the November election, which saw the NLD winning over 80% of the vote.
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