UN chief urges Myanmar's junta to free political prisoners, restore democracy

ANKARA (AA) – UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday expressed deep concern over the situation in Myanmar, calling it "an unending nightmare for the people of the country."

Speaking to reporters in Phnom Penh, Cambodia's capital, after attending the ASEAN-UN Summit, the UN chief reiterated his calls for the release of prisoners, the cessation of violence, and the restoration of democracy in Myanmar, asserting that this is the only way out of the current crisis, a local daily reported.

“The situation in Myanmar is an unending nightmare for the people of the country and a threat to peace and security across the region. Indiscriminate attacks on civilians are horrendous and heartbreaking,” Guterres said, according to the Phnom Penh Post daily.

He urged Myanmar authorities to listen to their people and release political prisoners immediately.

Myanmar is a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which was founded on Aug. 8, 1967, in Bangkok, Thailand.

The UN chief also called upon ASEAN member states to find a joint strategy toward Myanmar.

"At ASEAN, I condemned appalling human rights situation in Myanmar & repeated call on country's authorities to release all political prisoners & launch inclusive process to return to democratic transition. I also urged countries to develop regional framework to protect refugees," he tweeted about it.

According to the UN, at least 70,000 people have fled Myanmar since the start of the military coup on Feb. 1, 2021, and more than one million are still internally displaced from their homes. While several top political leaders are imprisoned, including Aung San Suu Kyi.

Over a million more Muslim Rohingya have found refuge in Bangladesh.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid