Former UN Chief: ‘Fleeting Window’ of Opportunity to Resolve Myanmar Crisis

Former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon strongly condemned the bloodshed in Myanmar on Monday, urging the U.N. Security Council and regional bloc ASEAN to take immediate and concerted action to prevent “ongoing atrocities” and a further escalation of violence.

“I condemn the brutal use of lethal force against civilians, and the detention of State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint, as well as thousands of protesters,” Ban told a high-level meeting of the U.N. Security Council, which focused on cooperation between the U.N. and regional organizations like ASEAN. Myanmar has been mired in chaos and violence since the military rejected November’s election results and overthrew the civilian government February 1. They have detained de facto leader Suu Kyi and other high-ranking officials of her National League for Democracy (NLD) Party. Rights groups say more than 700 civilians, including dozens of children, have been killed on the streets and in their homes in the military crackdown on protests.