THE news over the weekend and since that the military have taken power in Myanmar is nothing short of terrifying for anyone concerned about the rule of law and the already dreadful situation of minorities, especially the hard-pressed Rohingya people, in the country.

This is a grim return to times we hoped never to see again in Myanmar.

Progress is rarely level, and the high hopes of 2011 with the partial restoration of democracy have receded. The gloss had already comprehensively fallen from Aung San Suu Kyi given we have seen genocide being committed by Myanmar’s military against the Rohingya even when she was in power – and the UK Government needs to act to ensure that such crimes can never be committed again.

We debated this at Westminster yesterday and, to be fair, the UK has not been idle much as I think there is more to be done.

There have been targeted sanctions on leading members of the military and the UK is a major donor along with the EU to the Bangladeshi government that is hosting an estimated 900,000 refugees around Cox’s Bazaar in the east of their country.

But I, like others, am concerned that the military ending any pretence of civilian rule will have dreadful effects for the civilian population. Troops are patrolling streets across the country and communications are limited. The head of the army is now in charge and a one-year state of emergency has been declared.

The move by the military follows an election which, while not perfect, was decisive. Aung San Suu Kyi’s party won with 80% of the elected seats and an outright majority in both legislative chambers, even after the 25% of unelected seats held by the armed forces is taken into account.

The incumbent Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) suffered a crushing defeat, as did most parties representing minority ethnic groups. The military proxies having been so comprehensively rejected, the military stepped in directly.

The Burma human rights network said: “The coup follows outrageous claims of election fraud during the country’s recent general election, and this is now being used as a pretext for the state of emergency”.

Covid-19 threw up concerns from some in the international community about how the integrity of the last election in Myanmar could be maintained.

A 2017 military crackdown in Myanmar drove 900,000 Rohingya Muslims into neighbouring Bangladesh. UN investigators have said Myanmar’s military operation included mass killings, gang rapes and widespread arson and was executed with “genocidal intent”.

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The international condemnation for this move has been near-universal – we cannot recognise such a government and must make clear representations accordingly, with subsequent economic and political sanctions if necessary.

The White House’s press secretary said that “the United States opposes any attempt to alter the outcome of recent elections or impede Myanmar’s democratic transition, and will take action against those responsible if these steps are not reversed”.

UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres voiced “grave concern” regarding the declaration of the transfer of all legislative, executive and judicial powers to the military, adding that “these developments represent a serious blow to democratic reforms in Myanmar”.

Sanctions facing individuals in the Myanmar military and companies that work with the military are already widespread – but in the light of recent events these need to be tightened and intensified, and the illegitimacy of the military’s actions needs to be challenged robustly and immediately.

The stakes are particularly high for ethnic minorities in Myanmar, many of which Aung San Suu Kyi herself totally failed to protect from her country’s own military.

This coup cannot be allowed to unleash the unmitigated criminality and sectarian violence of Myanmar’s military, and the international community must quickly consider measures to protect minorities.

Covid-19 threatens to deepen their marginalisation and exclusion. In Myanmar, violence against the remaining Rohingya is escalating again and civilian harm intensifying – indeed, according to Save the Children, more children were killed and maimed in the first three months of 2020 than the whole of 2019.

If the government cannot prevent the military from massacring its own people then the international community must be prepared to seek justice for the crimes committed and offer humanitarian support and protection for those still fleeing for their lives.

I called yesterday for a co-ordinated international response and more sanctions on the military. But, sadly, I also had to seek reassurance that should events in Myanmar trigger another mass exodus of refugees, that the international community will help Bangladesh to cope with it. It may be far away and there may be a lot going on here too, but the crisis cannot be allowed to slip off the attention of the world community. If it does we’re not a community at all.