Topic: 2025 – Situation in Myanmar
Country: Republic of Korea
Delegate Name: Chloe Falkenstern
The ongoing civil war in Myanmar has warped into a great cause of concern for surrounding countries and the international community as a whole. Since Myanmar’s declaration of independence from Great Britain in 1948, tensions between Myanmar and its regional ethnic groups have brought grievances and violence on a scale no one could have predicted. The involvement of the Tatmadaw in the national government historically has caused more harm than good, with the ethnic groups of Myanmar being unwilling to follow the entity. Their loss of four seats in their legislature during democratic elections created a cause of concern for the militant group, sparking the coup of 2021. The Tatmadaw have created one of the largest humanitarian crises in the world, including the poverty of their people, religious persecution and ethnic cleansing, and ongoing violence in the Shan, Rakhine, and Kachin states that has spilled over into neighboring countries. Protests of the people of Myanmar have been met with violence, and violence against minority ethnic groups must cease for the country to prosper. As such, Korea is in favor of a solution that would provide food to those in areas of conflict, aid refugees seeking political asylum, cease the ongoing conflict, and reinstore the democratic elections that were once in Myanmar.
Korea and Myanmar have had a long history of cooperation throughout decades. During its democratic elections, meetings between the National League for Democracy and Korean presidents about the future of Myanmar were frequent. Korea also monetarily supported Myanmar throughout this time, being one of the largest investors in the Myanmar economy. Since the coup of 2021, the transport and trade of arms from Korea have ceased, with the last shipment having been in 2019. Throughout the ongoing conflict, we have worked in collaboration with the World Food Program (WFP) in providing meals to those affected by conflict through a program named ROK-WFP REACH (Responding with Emergency Assistance for Conflict Afflicted Households). Korea has also provided political asylum for refugees seeking aid during the conflict.
As a close ally of ASEAN, the Republic of Korea is in full support of the Five Point Consensus that was passed in 2021. However, the Tatmadaw leadership continues to work against this solution, working against the international community as a whole. Though not a member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) at the time, Korea supports Resolution 2669, calling for international collaboration with ASEAN and the UN Special Envoy. It is imperative to end the conflict, including air strikes, unlawful imprisonment, and violence against civilians before implementing any other course of action.
The Republic of Korea asks the Special Political and Decolonization Committee to remain seized of the matter, focusing on ending the current humanitarian crisis, ongoing conflict, and providing humanitarian assistance to those who need it. Korea would also like to emphasize regional cooperation, as we believe that interference by non-regional countries will escalate the conflict.
Sources
https://www.cfr.org/global-conflict-tracker/conflict/rohingya-crisis-myanmar
https://www.securitycouncilreport.org/atf/cf/%7B65BFCF9B-6D27-4E9C-8CD3-CF6E4FF96FF9%7D/N2276733.pdf
https://www.mofa.go.kr/eng/brd/m_5676/view.do?seq=321574&fbclid=IwAR33i00snL9aUed-BIprvPLGSeuladiv4DdHAqw2MBMOzxPTWEzbmvlu45k
https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/southkorea/globalcommunity/20220527/special-report-asylum-seekers-create-myanmartown-from-scratch-in-bupyeong
https://asean.org/wp-content/uploads/Chairmans-Statement-on-ALM-Five-Point-Consensus-24-April-2021-FINAL-a-1.pdf
https://www.mofa.go.kr/mm-en/brd/m_2096/view.do?seq=759065
