Kuala Lumpur: United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has called for an immediate end to the “deplorable” violence in Myanmar, urging the country’s military rulers to restore civilian rule and open a credible path toward democracy. Speaking during the ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Guterres condemned the ongoing bloodshed that has gripped Myanmar since the 2021 military coup, describing the situation as a humanitarian and regional catastrophe.
Guterres warned that the military takeover has “piled calamity upon calamity,” leading to untold suffering among civilians and threatening the stability of the entire Southeast Asian region. He pressed the junta to implement the long-stalled ASEAN peace plan and restore democratic governance, emphasizing that Myanmar’s crisis cannot be resolved through violence or repression.
The Secretary-General’s remarks come amid growing international alarm over escalating attacks on civilians. Just days earlier, a deadly airstrike in the Sagaing region killed at least 24 people, including several children, during a religious festival. Myanmar’s military has admitted responsibility for the strike but accused resistance fighters of using civilians as human shields.
Reports from the United Nations and human rights groups continue to paint a grim picture. According to recent UN findings, even toddlers have been detained by the military as proxies for their parents, with widespread evidence of torture and abuse in detention centers. The country’s humanitarian situation has also worsened, with millions displaced and entire communities cut off from aid due to ongoing fighting.
The junta has announced plans for a general election later this year, but critics, including the United Nations, question the credibility of any poll conducted under military rule. Opposition parties have been banned or dissolved, and much of the country remains under the control of ethnic armed groups and pro-democracy forces who reject the legitimacy of the junta-led process.
Guterres also urged Myanmar’s neighbors and ASEAN member states to take a stronger stance, warning that the conflict’s repercussions are spilling across borders in the form of refugee crises and regional instability. He called for greater humanitarian access to conflict-affected areas and renewed diplomatic efforts to end the suffering of civilians trapped in the crossfire.
As Myanmar’s turmoil deepens, international observers fear the country is drifting further away from any peaceful resolution. The UN’s latest appeal highlights not only the urgency of halting the violence but also the need for a united global effort to hold perpetrators accountable and restore hope for Myanmar’s people.