UNO: On Monday, human rights advocates called on the UN Security Council to refer Myanmar's military authorities to the International Criminal Court and urged the neighbouring Southeast Asian nations to support the opposition pro-democracy movement.

A closed council meeting on Myanmar was preceded by a press conference from the heads of two women's rights organisations. Members heard briefings by UN special envoy for Myanmar Noeleen Heyzer and Indonesia's Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, whose country chairs the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

The Gender Equality Network, a coalition of organisations working to advance women's rights in Myanmar, is led by May Sabe Phyu. She recently accused the military of Myanmar of engaging in "a terror campaign" and committing "heinous acts" that amounted to crimes against humanity. She suggested that the International Criminal Court be notified of the junta's actions by the Security Council.

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Long accused of violating human rights, Myanmar's military was particularly harsh in its counterinsurgency campaign against Rohingya Muslims in the western state of Rakhine in 2017. International tribunals are debating whether or not that crackdown constituted genocide.

The military overthrew Myanmar's elected civilian government in 2021 and then moved to repress violently any public opposition to the coup. Some experts now believe that Myanmar is engaged in a civil war where the military is waging major offensives against a profusion of armed resistance.

In April 2021, ASEAN adopted a five-step consensus on restoring peace, to which Myanmar agreed but did not implement. As a result, Myanmar has since been excluded from some high-level ASEAN meetings.

In December, the Security Council adopted its first-ever resolution on Myanmar, calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities, the release of all people who had been "arbitrarily detained," including former leader Aung San Suu Kyi, and the restoration of democratic institutions. All parties were urged to "respect human rights, fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law," as well as a call for dialogue and peace.

The activists demanded several things, including an arms embargo, public meetings between the UN special envoy and representatives of the pro-democracy movement, and military criminal responsibility.

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Phyu, who left Myanmar after the takeover and is now based in the United States, asked the Security Council to pressure Myanmar's neighbours not to support the government but to publicly support democratic forces, including the National Unity Government, which she said has the support of the people of Myanmar.

And she criticised UN envoy Heyzer for meeting Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing but not meeting publicly with pro-democracy groups including the National Unity Government, which operates underground and calls itself the country's legitimate government.

Supporters of democracy in Burma, according to Naw Hser Hser, head of the Women's League of Burma, feel ignored by the international community. 

The Security Council fully supports ASEAN and the five-point council, according to Britain's UN Ambassador Barbara Woodward, but she emphasised that it is time for progress right away.

For too long, the people of Myanmar have been in pain, according to Woodward. "Myanmar is the second deadliest place in the world for civilians and the people of Myanmar really can't wait."

Following the council meeting, Marsudi presented the implementation plan, which calls for action on all five points concurrently rather than sequentially, according to France's deputy UN ambassador Nathalie Broadhurst.

Broadhurst continued, "They say they don't want megaphone diplomacy," expressing optimism that the ASEAN initiative will ultimately result in a national inclusive effort and put an end to the "desperate situation" in Myanmar.

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Ronaldo Costa Filho, Brazil's ambassador to the UN, told AP that while some council members supported ASEAN and others said the Security Council should be ready to take additional action, no new council action is anticipated "for the time being."

Due to a significant rift between its five permanent members China, Russia, Britain, France, and the United States—the Security Council in New York has become more and more polarised