Statement delivered by Ambassador Anna Jardfelt.
Madam President,
Sweden welcomes this opportunity to address the crisis in Myanmar through a Special Session.
Sweden is gravely concerned about the declaration of the state of emergency imposed by the military in Myanmar. Sweden calls on the military to respect the will of the people manifested in the election held on November 8. The legitimate civilian government must immediately be restored. All those arbitrarily detained, including members of government, human rights defenders, journalists and others, must be released immediately and without conditions.
The people of Myanmar, including civil society, human rights defenders and journalists ought not to be silenced. The right to freedom of opinion and expression, online as well as offline, must be guaranteed.
Violence, intimidation and harassment of those excersing their right to peaceful assembly must stop and the military should refrain from using excessive force.
Serious human rights violations and abuses, for which impunity still persist, have been committed in Myanmar. Human rights monitoring and reporting of the situation is key. The UN Special Rapporteur must be ensured access to the country. The international community cannot allow a military coup to be a stepping stone for renewed violations in Myanmar.
Thank you.