Urgent Action Needed on 2nd Anniversary of Burmese Coup

Salam,

Today marks the two-year anniversary of the violent overthrow of democracy in Burma. The brutal Burmese military, not satisfied with genocide against the Rohingya minority, is fighting with 90 percent of its people, while Russia, China and India enable it with weapons sales.

This week also brought two disturbing news reports regarding United States Government policy towards the Burmese military. We urgently need your help in pushing back against these deeply unacceptable policies:

ACTION #1:

The Burmese military has been invited to take part in a military meeting co-chaired by the USA and by Thailand. While the military-dominated Thai government is close to the coup leaders in Myanmar, the USA has recognized the Rohingya genocide and regularly denounces the coup. Therefore, it is highly inappropriate for our own military to give these criminal leaders the image of legitimacy.

PLEASE WRITE: The Joint United States Military Advisory Group, Thailand & The Bureau of Political-Military Affairs

CLICK HERE TO SEND AN EMAIL

Tweet to the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs on Twitter, @StateDeptPM

ACTION #2:

This week Reuters reported that a Japanese construction firm was granted an exemption by the U.S. government to make payments to a Burmese military-owned company despite US sanctions.

Write: Office of Foreign Assets Control; ofac_feedback@treasury.gov

Copy: Staff, Senator Markey Blake_Narendra@markey.senate.gov, Sarah_Trister@markey.senate.gov

Tweet: @PatrickMcHenry US House Committee on Financial Services (Republican Chairman)

Janet Yellen @SecYellen CC: @TreasuryDepSec

SUGGESTED TEXT: The US Government has reportedly granted a license for the Japanese company Yokogawa Bridge Corporation to pay the Myanmar Economic Corporation (MEC). This notorious military-owned holding company enriches Burmese military leaders; and any payment will certainly prolong their brutal and disruptive occupation of Myanmar, resulting in millions more displaced internally and throughout the region. This exemption normalizes and rewards coup leaders and undermines US foreign policy by increasing cynicism about American goals and values.