UN Security Council demands Myanmar junta free ousted leader, political prisoners

By Betul Yuruk

UNITED NATIONS (AA) - The UN Security Council adopted a resolution Wednesday calling on Myanmar's military junta to free ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi and all other arbitrarily detained prisoners.

Twelve members of the UN Security Council voted in favor of the resolution demanding an immediate end to violence in Myanmar, while China, Russia and India abstained.

The 15-member council has long been divided over the Myanmar crisis due to China and Russia's stance.

On Feb. 1, 2021, Suu Kyi’s government was deposed in a military coup after her National League for Democracy party’s victory in national elections the previous November.

The coup was met with widespread civic unrest as people denounced her removal and the introduction of military rule. The junta detained Suu Kyi and other officials and repressed the protests violently, with the UN warning that the country had descended into civil war.

US envoy to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said this resolution only represents a step toward ending the bloodshed, adding that ''much more must be done.''

China's UN Ambassador Zhang Jun said there is no quick fix to the issue.