G7, Western countries step up pressure on Myanmar junta
The European Union said it is considering sanctions on Myanmar while the United States penalized two more generals for links to the military coup, as Western countries sought to press the junta to avoid a violent crackdown after weeks of protests.
Meanwhile, the foreign ministers of the Group of 7 rich countries said the use of violence against the demonstrators is unacceptable and perpetrators must be held to account.
“Anyone responding to peaceful protests with violence must be held to account,” the foreign ministers said in a joint statement.
“We condemn the intimidation and oppression of those opposing the coup... We remain united in condemning the coup in Myanmar. We call again for the immediate and unconditional release of those detained arbitrarily, including State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint.”
Junta leader General Min Aung Hlaing called for energy to be put into reviving the ailing economy, state media reported, a day after a general strike shut businesses and huge crowds gathered despite a warning from authorities that confrontation could get people killed.
UN Special Rapporteur Tom Andrews said millions had marched on Monday in a “breathtaking” turnout, despite the junta’s threat.
”The generals are losing their power to intimidate and with it, their power. It is past time for them to stand down, as the people of Myanmar stand up,” Andrews said on Twitter.
Crowds gathered again yesterday though in much smaller numbers. There were no reports of confrontations with security forces.
Overnight, EU governments showed support for those seeking to reverse the Feb. 1 coup and the release of Suu Kyi.
”We are not prepared to stand by and watch,” German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said in Brussels, adding that sanctions could follow if diplomacy failed.
The European Union is considering sanctions that would target businesses owned by the army, but the bloc ruled out any curtailing of its trade preferences to avoid hurting poor workers.
The security forces have shown more restraint since the coup than in earlier confrontations with those pushing for democracy in almost half a century of direct military rule.
Even so, three protesters have been killed – two shot dead in the second city of Mandalay on Saturday, and a woman who died on Friday after being shot more than a week earlier in the capital, Naypyitaw.