Switzerland temporarily suspends aid payments to Myanmar
Protesters in Yangon demonstrating against the military takeover.
Keystone
Switzerland has decided to suspend all further payments related to development cooperation in Myanmar following the recent military coup. However, programmes already underway in the Asian country will continue.
The objective of the temporary halt of payments is to allow time for a thorough analysis of where the money is ending up.
“We are checking whether and which of our projects should be suspended because they benefit the military government or are managed by it,” Tim Enderlin, the Swiss ambassador in Myanmar, told public broadcaster RTS on Thursday.
The protection of human rights in particular must continue to play an essential role when it comes to development aid, said the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA). The FDFA added that it is too early to give a detailed answer on the future of Switzerland’s financial commitment to the country. For now, the suspension of payments “in no way means the suspension of the cooperation programme in Myanmar itself, nor of Switzerland’s commitment in the country”, said Enderlin.
Earlier this month Myanmar’s military seized power in a coup against the democratically elected government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, who was reportedly detained along with other leaders of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party.
The army said it had carried out the detentions and imposed a one-year state of emergency in response to “election fraud”, according to a statement on a military-owned television station.
How is your country dealing with the return of stolen artifacts?
Western nations like Switzerland often have to deal with the process of recovering or returning looted artifacts which have been illegally imported. What’s the situation like in your country?
What do you think Switzerland’s Alain Berset can bring to the Council of Europe?
The former interior minister is to become the first Swiss Secretary General of the Council of Europe – which issues should his five-year term focus on?
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Switzerland calls for end to Myanmar coup
This content was published on
The Swiss foreign ministry has urged Myanmar’s military, which seized power on Monday in a coup, to “immediately suspend its actions”.
This content was published on
Officials at the Geneva-based UN evidence-gathering body for serious crimes in Myanmar are closely watching events in the southeast Asian nation.
This content was published on
On Monday, the Swiss diplomat told Swiss public television SRF that the situation is extremely concerning. “It would be catastrophic if Myanmar takes a step back to 2011 when the country had been under a dictatorship for 50 years,” said Schraner Burgener. “We fear that all attempts to democratise the country will again be crushed…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.