UN Secretary-General’s Office issued a statement Sunday expressing “solidarity with the people of Myanmar and their democratic aspirations for an inclusive society and the protection of all communities, including the Rohingya.”

The statement was issued to mark the one-year anniversary of the military coup that toppled Myanmar’s democratically elected government. In the aftermath of the coup, Aung San Suu Kyi and several members of her National League for Democracy party were arrested. Suu Kyi now faces over a dozen charges which could add up to a combined sentence of over 100 years.

Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General discussed “an intensification in violence, a deepening of the human rights and humanitarian crises and a rapid rise of poverty in Myanmar” and emphasised the need for the UN and its partners to respond urgently to the vulnerabilities of the people of Myanmar and to protect their fundamental freedoms.

The statement also stressed the importance of inclusive dialogue and direct engagement with the stakeholders in the crisis. The Secretary-General’s Special Envoy, Noeleen Heyzer, has been tasked with mobilising immediate action through increased cooperation between the UN and the Association of the South-East Asian Nations.

In a statement issued Friday, UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet entreated the international community to make an “urgent, renewed effort” to restore democracy and the rule of law in Myanmar. She pointed out that the international response has been ineffective considering the deplorable human rights violations against journalists, factory workers, ethnic and religious minorities and political opponents. Nearly 12,000 individuals have been arbitrarily detained of which 8,792 remain in custody, and at least 290 have died in detention.