'Myanmar led by Junta is a failed state'; UN Human rights envoy calls for global action

A United Nation special rapporteur for Myanmar, Tom Andrews, who is prominent human rights expert from various walks of life, has warned that Myanmar is a "failing state" and the condition is getting worse, reported the Guardian. While talking about the condition of Myanmar, the UN special rapporteur also cited the Russian weapon supply to the junta since the coup two years ago. “The same types of weapons that are killing Ukrainians are killing people in Myanmar,” said Andrews. Andrew has requested other countries to adopt the same unified resolve that followed the invasion of Ukraine.

The Junta, a military group that is ruling the country after taking power by force, has been relying on aircrafts from China and Russia. This has resulted in airstrikes to attempt to quell determined resistance forces, as per media reports. According to Andrews, the international response to Myanmar has been inadequate and some countries have continued to enable the junta’s atrocities. “It is unspeakable what is happening and what is so incredibly frustrating is the fact that, as far as most of the world is concerned, this is not happening,” said Tom Andrews. He further added, " Myanmar is a failing state, it is in the process of failing and this is happening before our very eyes.”

Is Myanmar a failed state?

In February 2021, the country plunged into a crisis when the military detained the country's leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, and seized power. The coup by the military provoked both a peaceful civil disobedience movement and an armed resistance. The chaos caused by the coup has spread across vast areas of the country. Details shared by Andrews, ahead of the Human Rights Council scheduled for next week, showed that people who have fled Myanmar face “the risk of arrest, detention, deportation, pushbacks at land and sea” as well as obstruction of their access to the UN’s refugee agency, UNHCR."

“As it becomes more dangerous for their troops to operate on the ground they have resorted to these gunships, fighter jets that are dropping bombs on villages, and even IDP centres (camps for internally displaced people who have been forced to flee),” said Andrews. 

He also shared that Russia, China, and Serbia have been supplying arms to the junta. As per the recent investigation by Myanmar's witness, the military has been solely dependent upon Chinese and Russian air assets for creating unrest in the country. Due to the help being provided by China and Russia, junta has been seeking to publicly align itself with both nations after the coup. The military, led by Min Aung Hlaing “fawns over Russia”, said Andrews. He added, “He has flown to Moscow, he has praised Putin, they of course seek and secure weapons that they use to commit these atrocity crimes.” The military group has launched airstrikes in 10 out of 14 of the country’s administrative divisions, in the last six months of 2022, as per the Myanmar Witness. 

The UN special rapporteur has been backing calls for the UN security council (UNSC) which is responsible for passing a resolution that would refer the situation in Myanmar to the international criminal court. He stated, "Myanmar is a very significant country, it is a nation of 54 million people, located in a very important part of the world between India and China. Already you have seen the impact of the instability that’s there. Thousands and thousands of people every month are running for their lives every month over the border into the region.”