Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 November 2021
378. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the initiatives being taken at United Nations Security Council level or elsewhere within the European Union to protect human rights and opportunities in Myanmar. [54270/21]
View answerIreland strongly condemns the coup carried out by the Myanmar military and its attempts to consolidate or legitimise the military regime. The coup is a reversal of the progress made towards democracy and rule of law in Myanmar that has taken years to establish. We are gravely concerned by the violence and displacement in the country and the humanitarian and human rights situation. Ireland is actively engaging at the European Union and United Nations to call on all sides to refrain from violence, and to fully respect human rights and comply with international law including international humanitarian and human rights law.
Ireland fully supports the strong and comprehensive approach to the coup set out in the Council Conclusions adopted by the Foreign Affairs Council on February 22. The European Union has adopted three packages of sanctions against the perpetrators of the coup and the economic entities that sustain them and pre-existing EU restrictive measures also remain in place. These include an embargo on arms and equipment that can be used for internal repression, an export ban on dual-use goods for use by the military and border guard police, export restrictions on equipment for monitoring communications that could be used for internal repression, and a prohibition on military training and cooperation with the Tatmadaw.
The European Union has allocated €24.5 million in humanitarian aid funding for the most vulnerable for 2021. Ireland has provided almost €2.5 million in finding this year for humanitarian and civil society support in Myanmar.
Ireland is also proactively engaging in work at the United Nations Security Council. The Council has expressed deep concerns regarding developments in Myanmar, strongly condemned the use of violence by the military, and called for the release of all those detained. It is welcome that the Security Council has taken a united position on this crisis, sending a strong message to the Myanmar military. Ireland was also a member of the core group of nations who proposed the June 2021 United Nations General Assembly resolution which called for a stop to the flow of arms to Myanmar. The situation remains on the agenda of the Security Council and we will continue to work with partners in search of a resolution to the deepening crisis.
Military rule opens significant scope for further human rights abuses in Myanmar and Ireland has voiced its concern at four sessions of the Human Rights Council since February 2021. We welcome the unanimous resolutions agreed at these sessions which address human rights issues in Myanmar and call on the Myanmar military to take action to remedy them. We have consistently voiced support for international efforts towards ensuring accountability and justice in Myanmar, including the ongoing processes at the IIMM, the ICJ and the ICC.
Ireland, along with our European Union colleagues, has been a steadfast supporter of Myanmar’s civilian and democratic transition, its peace process and national reconciliation, and its inclusive socio-economic development. We are currently working with the European Union to consider further actions which will work to restore the democratic path in Myanmar. Through the UN and our Embassy network, we are encouraging those who have influence on the military leadership, including ASEAN and countries within the region, to use it to find a political resolution to this crisis and protect the human rights of the Myanmar people.
