Action Alert: United Nations, US and International Players

The Government of China has apparently fully embraced the Burmese military junta, instead of recognizing the legitimate leaders of the country as represented by the National Unity Government (NUG). Earlier in April, Burma Task Force met with NUG’s Minister of Human Rights Aung Myo Min and Deputy Foreign Minister U Mow Zaw Oo and were positively impressed with their plans and perspectives.

On April 20, 2022 Burma Team Lead Adem Carroll also met with the British Ambassador Barbara Woodward, who is President of the UN Security Council this busy month. He criticized the over-dependence on ASEAN as a way to bring democracy (and Rohingya) back to Burma. However, NGOs are encouraged to know that Burmese military junta leaders are not expected to join the ASEAN meeting in Washington DC in early May.

While much of the world focuses on the invasion of Ukraine, the overall situation in Burma remains very difficult, and China has solidified its support for the brutal military. Read the expert David Matheson’s bitter and entertaining article about how international agencies try to maintain “normality” despite all the Burmese military atrocities. At Burma Task Force, we support honesty and inclusion instead of business as usual.

Congratulations to our Program Associate Rohingya leader Sharifah Shakirah

Sharifah Shakirah was a keynote speaker at the UN ECOSOC Youth Conference last week. Sharifah was a refugee leader in Malaysia for several years. Last week the desperation of Rohingya in Malaysia spilled over in a mass escape from a refugee camp that tragically resulted in deaths. And in India, the Government is again threatening more deportations of Rohingya. There are many challenges

Action

The House of Representatives recently passed the Burma Act, which offers resources to democracy forces as well as to Rohingya. However, the Senate continues to delay passage of this important legislation. The Republican leadership is entirely to blame, so please tweet or contact:

@LeaderMcConnell (202) 224-2541
@SenRonJohnson (202) 224-5323
@SenateGOP

Please note that delaying the Burma Act sends the wrong message to dictators everywhere, including in China and Russia. Support for human rights in Burma has up to now been solidly bipartisan. In a serious crisis, we don’t want to see partisan political games prevent necessary action.