Each morning I wake up and immediately check the news. I breathe a sign of relief when I learn that the military has not brutally cracked down on the pro-democracy demonstrators. In 1988, and again in 2007, the Myanmar army brutally cracked down on peaceful protestors killing thousands.
Today, let’s all take the four actions outlined below to keep the blood of the Burmese people off the streets of Myanmar.
Action #1. Stay Informed
In ever increasing numbers, people are taking to the streets throughout Myanmar in opposition to the military coup. In the biggest protests since the 2007 Saffron Revolution, Myanmar’s new and globally connected #2121Generation is facing down the Burmese police and soldiers.
In cities around the world, people are holding protests outside Myanmar embassies and consulates. And in a truly inspiring action, Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh have circulated pictures of themselves raising the three-fingered salute in solidarity with their fellow Burmese inside Myanmar.
This is a very fluid and dangerous situation. Follow the news on social media with the hashtags: #WhatsHappeningInMyanmar #CivilDisobedienceMovement. Excellent coverage from inside Myanmar is also available daily from Frontier Myanmar. Read their website and sign up for their daily emails as long as the military allows them to stay open.
Action #2. Take Action: Lobby Your Government
Demand that your government impose tough sanctions on the Myanmar military until it reverses its coup and restores the democratically elected civilian government. Because of your emails and calls from around the world, the Biden Administration is now considering what sanctions to impose on the Myanmar military to roll back its coup against the civilian government.Click here to urge U.S. President Joe Biden impose tough sanctions on the Myanmar military.
If you have already signed the petition, share it with your friends. If so, please email, message, or text ten or more of your friends to ask them to join you. Send them this short link to the petition: http://bit.ly/BidenSanctionMyanmar
Action #3. Take Action: Impose Your Citizen Sanctions on the Myanmar Military
Thanks to your actions, Kirin Brewing just announced that it was ending its business partnerships with the Myanmar military. This is a clear success of your campaign of direct citizen sanctions on the Myanmar military’s business empire.
We stand in solidarity with the Burmese people. We join with Justice For Myanmar and Burma Campaign UK in calling for tough sanctions on the Myanmar military and not the Myanmar people. Please take action today to impose your own citizen sanctions on the Myanmar military through these following actions.
Demand Facebook remove all Myanmar military accounts from its platform.
According to Justice For Myanmar, the army chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing may have executed this coup to protect his power and his financial interests. Before the coup, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing was required in June 2021 to transfer power to a new Commander-in-Chief. Min Aung Hlaing and his family have a lot to lose after having amassed personal wealth through the abuse of his public position as head of the military.
Action #4. Make a Gift to Build Our Resistance to the Myanmar military
We can and must build our pressure on Myanmar’s military. Your actions have moved your governments to pass tough sanctions and successfully pressed companies, such as Western Union, online jeweler Angara, and Kirin brewery, to end their business partnerships with the Burmese military.
Your gifts will help us keep building the campaigns and tools that we need to take effective action together. Please click here to make a gift of $30, $60, $120, $250, or more.
Together, we can build our movement to end the Myanmar military’s corrupt and brutal rule.
Thank you so much,
Simon Billenness, Executive Director
For the International Campaign for the Rohingya: Debbie Stothard, Jack Rendler, J. Mark Brinkmoeller, Joseph K. Grieboski, Simran Stuelpnagel, Michael DeLong, and Alyson Chadwick.
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For Further Reading:
“Sanction Myanmar Military, Not Myanmar People,” Justice For Myanmar and Burma Campaign UK, 5 February 2021
“Kirin Ends Partnership With Myanmar Military After the Army’s Genocide and Coup D’Etat,” International Campaign for the Rohingya, 5 February 2021
“Myanmar Military Should End Its Use of Violence and Respect Democracy,” Joint statement of Myanmar civil society organizations, 1 February 2021
“Who Profits From a Coup? The Power and Greed of Senior General Min Aung Hlaing,” Justice For Myanmar, January 2021
“Dirty List” of companies doing business with the Myanmar military, Burma Campaign UK
“Military Ltd,” Amnesty International, September 2020
Justice for Myanmar – Justice For Myanmar is a campaign to provide a platform for those unjustly persecuted by the Myanmar military – regardless of class, religion, gender or ethnic identity in their efforts to seek justice and end military impunity in Myanmar. The campaign works to expose the Myanmar military’s businesses’ link to human rights violations across the country.
“The economic interests of the Myanmar military,” United Nations Independent International Fact-Finding Mission, September 2019
“Facebook Allowing Burma Military to Recruit For and Fund Genocide,” Burma Campaign UK, 9 January 2021
“Will Myanmar’s ‘Genocide Gems’ Become the New Blood Diamonds?,” BusinessWeek, October 17, 2018
“No Genocide Gems! Burmese Military Takes a Hit From Citizens Sanctions,” International Campaign for the Rohingya blog