Mr / Madam President

The Kingdom of the Netherlands aligns itself with the EU statement. We would like to add a few remarks in our national capacity.

The military coup has dramatically reversed Myanmar’s path towards democracy, less than a decade after the country began to steer away from half a century of military rule. The Kingdom of the Netherlands stands in solidarity with peace protestors, civil society, human rights defenders, journalists and others, who are risking their lives by continuing to express their firm commitment to a democratic future in which fundamental freedoms are upheld.

The Kingdom of the Netherlands strongly condemns the military coup and military and police repression, harassment and use of violence against peaceful protestors.
The Kingdom of the Netherlands calls for the immediate end to the state of emergency, the restoration of the legitimate civilian government and the opening of the newly elected parliament. The military must immediately and unconditionally release all those who have been arbitrarily detained and sentenced.

The Kingdom of the Netherlands is deeply concerned about restrictions on freedoms of expression, association and assembly, including through draconian changes to the law which are not in line with international obligations, and access to information.
The people of Myanmar cannot be excluded from shaping and sharing thoughts about the future of their country. Journalists, human rights activists and other members of civil society should be able to work without fear of reprisals, intimidation or attack.

Justice for victims is crucial. Those responsible for violence against peaceful protestors must be held responsible. Perpetrators of international crimes cannot get away with the horrific crimes they’ve committed. The Kingdom of the Netherlands recalls the International Court of Justice provisional measures order, the ongoing International Criminal Court investigation and the work of the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar. 

We must also not forget to continue working on creating the conditions necessary for the safe, voluntary, sustainable and dignified return of the Rohingya.

The Kingdom of the Netherlands reiterates support UN Special Envoy Schraner Burgener’s efforts to create space for dialogue and urges the military leaders to cooperate with and grant full access to UN Special Envoy Schraner Burgener.

Thank you.