WELLINGTON – New Zealand today announced the suspension of high-level military and political contacts with Myanmar, the first major international move to isolate the Southeast Asian country’s ruling junta following a coup.
Unveiling the measures, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern called for the international community to “strongly condemn what we’re seeing happen in Myanmar”.
“After years of working hard to build a democracy in Myanmar, I think every New Zealander would be devastated to see what we’ve seen in recent days led by the military,” she told reporters.
“Our strong message is, we will do what we can from here in New Zealand.”
She said the measures include travel bans on senior military figures.
Myanmar’s military last week detained civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and dozens of members of her National League for Democracy party, ending a decade of civilian rule.
Ardern said New Zealand wants the United Nations Human Rights Council to hold a special session to discuss the developments in Myanmar.
She said her country’s aid programmes in Myanmar, worth about NZ$42 million (RM123.6 million) a year, will continue with safeguards that they do not benefit, or come under the control of, the junta. – AFP, February 9, 2021
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