The Philippines has decided to side with China, Russia, Venezuela and Bolivia in not supporting a United Nations resolution urging freedom for toppled Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other civilian officials.

“The Philippines joined China, Russia, Venezuela and Bolivia in dissociating itself from the HRC consensus that adopted the resolution without calling for a vote,” the Department of Foreign Affairs said on Saturday.

DFA added that the Philippines decided to dissociate from the UN resolution as it “supports territorial integrity of Myanmar.”

“As a sovereign country in a world of sovereign states, the Philippines cannot stress strongly enough the primacy of national internal efforts towards democratic reforms, and never by the imposition of foreign solutions whether in regional or multilateral contexts, including through this Council,” read the DFA statement.

“We reaffirm our support of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Myanmar,” it added.

However, the DFA stressed that it supports the push for fuller democracy in Myanmar, adding that Suu Kyi is an admired icon of democracy among Filipinos.

“The Philippines has been supportive of Myanmar’s progress towards a fuller democracy, cognizant of the Army’s role in preserving its territorial integrity and national security, as well as the unifying role of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in the history of the country and Army her father founded,” said DFA.

“The Lady is a deeply and widely admired icon of democracy among the Filipino people who identify with her and her people, given similar struggles against tyranny in the not distant past; struggles that culminated in the complete restoration of democracy by unprecedented and entirely domestic efforts that inspired similarly successful efforts in the rest of the Cold War world,” it added.

Besides seeking freedom for Suu Kyi, the UN resolution also stressed protection of Myanmar locals participating in protests against the military junta.