UN seeks Myanmar weapons embargo

UNITED NATIONS: The UN General Assembly on Tuesday is set to consider a draft nonbinding resolution calling for “an immediate suspension” of the transfer of weapons to the military junta of Myanmar, a UN official said on Sunday.

Unlike Security Council resolutions, General Assembly resolutions are non-binding but carry strong political significance.

If an approval by consensus cannot be reached then the full General Assembly — 193 member states — will vote on the measure.

Introduced by Liechtenstein, with support from the European Union, Britain, and the US, the measure will be considered at the plenary meeting set for Tuesday in New York.

The draft resolution calls for “an immediate suspension of the direct and indirect supply, sale, or transfer of all weapons, munitions, and other military-related equipment to Myanmar”.

The draft, which has been under negotiation for weeks, is co-sponsored by 48 countries, with South Korea the sole Asian country.

It also calls on military to “end the state of emergency” and immediately stop “all violence against peaceful demonstrators”, as well as “immediately and unconditionally release President Win Myint, state counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi (pictured)” and everyone who has been “arbitrarily detained, charged or arrested” since the February 1 coup.

The draft adds a call to “swiftly implement” a fivepoint consensus reached with leaders from the 10-country Association of Southeast Asian Nations on April 24, to “facilitate the visit” of the special UN envoy to Myanmar,