Myanmar Violence Must Be Condemned by the Dáil
Aontú Leader & Meath West TD Peadar Tóibín has spoken out against the military coup and violence ongoing in Myanmar, and has called on the Irish government to support measures to sanction the violent military regime that is brutalising civilians there.
An Teachta Tóibín:
“The continued violence in Myanmamr – particularly violence by state forces against innocent children and young people is absolutely unacceptable, and cannot be met with silence. The diaspora of Myanmar have been trying to drum up attention as to the crimes being committed in the country. An Aontú member from our Limerick Cumann who volunteered in Myanmar has been providing me with graphic images and videos from inside the country. The level of bloodshed and slaughter being perpetrated against innocent civilians exercising their democratic right to protest and speak out against a military junta that has taken over their country, cannot go unchecked. I was particularly struck by the bravery of Sister Ann Rose Nu Tawng and other nuns in Myanmar who have knelt on more than occasion in front of armed soldiers and police officers, telling the soldiers to shoot them instead of innocent children.”
“Our party member in Limerick, perhaps put it best when he said ‘One of the things that this country used to be very good at was punching far above its weight in terms of reaching out to those suffering abroad, from UN peacekeepers, to missionaries, lay and religious, working with the poorest of the poor.’ Where has been the coverage on RTE News? Why have we not been speaking on this issue in the Dáil? Ireland now has a seat on the UN Security Council which has power to do something about the bloodshed. Why are we not pushing for deployment of peacekeepers and UN officials to deal with the situation on the ground? A country with our history and experience of oppression, brutality and persecution cannot go silent when our voice is needed now more than ever.”
