The UN’s leading human rights body agreed Thursday (Apr 4) to measures aimed at putting pressure on Myanmar and Iran, whose governments have been accused of using violence against their people.
The Human Rights Council made up of 47 member countries, backed by consensus a measure that calls on governments to avoid exporting or selling jet fuel to Myanmar if they believe its ruling military junta might use the fuel to violate human rights in the war-wracked southeast Asian country.
It also urged a halt to the illegal transfer of weapons, munitions and other military equipment to Myanmar.
An independent expert commissioned by the council warned last month that Myanmar’s military government is escalating violence against civilians as it faces more setbacks on the battlefield against pro-democracy and ethnic armed groups.
The military seized power more than three years ago from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi triggering widespread nonviolent opposition that was met with deadly force. The repression gave birth to armed resistance and embroiled the country in a civil war.
ILLICIT SHIPMENTS OF FUEL GOING TO MYANMAR
Advocacy group Amnesty International has repeatedly called out illicit shipments of fuel to Myanmar and in January pointed to shipping data showing efforts to avoid sanctions in the aviation fuel supply chain. It said at least seven shipments of the fuel went to Myanmar last year, with direct links to a storage unit in Vietnam.
Vietnam, which currently holds one of the seats in the council, did not stand in the way of the council’s consensus.
“This is an important message from the UN’s main human rights body that business as usual is not acceptable when supplying jet fuel to those who use airstrikes to commit war crimes,” said Iniyan Ilango, Amnesty’s representative to the UN in Geneva.
He said it was “a good start” but the UN Security Council should impose a suspension of direct and indirect shipments of aviation fuel to Myanmar, saying such a move would have an important impact on the ground because it would help prevent the military from continuing its airstrikes, “many of which have constituted war crimes.”
The decision on Myanmar came as the council was wrapping up its first session of the year, which began on Feb 26, with action on more than 40 resolutions on issues as diverse as rights of the child, the environment and human rights, and prevention of genocide, and rights situations in council like Sudan, Belarus and North Korea.