Open letter endorsed by 149 human rights organizations to all G20 leadership on the need to pressure Prime Minister Narenda Modi to allow full humanitarian access to refugees along the India-Burma border and stop arming the Burmese military ahead of the G20 summit.
Your Excellencies,
We, the undersigned 149 organizations are shocked, horrified, and appalled by the Burmese military’s unrelenting campaign of violence across the country. As the international community prepares to convene during the G20 Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi, India, the Burmese military continues to benefit from Prime Minister Narenda Modi’s diplomatic and technical support, as India sells weapons to the Burmese junta. Such cooperation with an illegal military regime has emboldened the junta to intensify their attacks against civilians with impunity.
We urge you to take action immediately and implement harsher sanctions that will hold the junta accountable, while joining the call for a global arms embargo to halt Indian weapons sales to the military.
In a review of India’s exports, advocacy group Justice for Myanmar found that Bharat Electronics, an Indian government-owned company, executed $5 million of deliveries to the Burmese junta from November 2022 to April 2023. Included in these deliveries were parts for naval vessels, battlefield radios, and artillery barrels identified as the guns commonly used to target civilians.
The link between Indian arms sales and civilian casualties is direct and devastating; the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners estimates that the junta has killed almost 4,000 civilians since the start of the coup in February 2021. In a February 2023 report, multiple research and civil society organizations documented mounting evidence that the military’s actions amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity. As civilians in Burma continue to suffer under the military regime, it is imperative that G20 attendees understand India’s complicity and take immediate action.
The Burmese junta has utilized arms from India to increase airstrikes, mortar shelling attacks, and mass shootings on unarmed civilians across the country. Local groups on the ground report that assaults from the military occur daily. This year, from January to April, the junta launched 442 airstrikes almost surpassing the total number of airstrikes in 2022, which was 449.
These attacks have internally displaced over 1 million people, while creating at least 70,000 refugees that have fled to neighboring countries. The UN itself has stated that there has been no signs that displacement will slow. By the end of 2023, the total displaced population is expected to increase to 2.7 million. Half of the country is living in poverty, with 15.2 million people experiencing food insecurity. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs further estimates that the junta’s violence has left at least 17.6 million people in Burma in dire need of humanitarian assistance, with a third of the population being children.
A nation that continues to enable the junta, despite being aware of the junta’s crimes, should not be allowed to convene and welcome the world’s leaders at the G20 summit. While this is a disappointing occurrence, the G20 will offer attending countries an opportunity to call out India on the world’s stage, and lead justice and accountability measures for a people that cannot take such actions themselves.
To prevent the military from receiving further weaponry, the international community must establish a coordinated global arms embargo. Stricter and harsher sanctions must also be put in place as a means of cutting off the junta’s sources of income and thus access to the diplomatic and technical power that has allowed them to ravage Burma.
• India must allow full access of humanitarian assistance, including, but not limited to humanitarian aid from UNICEF and the World Food Programme to the displaced communities along the India-Burma border;
• India must cooperate with the international community to enforce a coordinated global arm embargo;
• Indian companies must cease their provision of jet fuel to the Burmese junta;
• India and the international community must cut off all resources of income and access to diplomatic and technical power to prevent the Burmese military from continuing its campaign of violence on the people of Burma.
We, the undersigned 149 organizations, are in full support of Burma’s fight for inclusive democracy and urge you to act in the interests of basic human rights and dignity.
Sincerely,
Signed by:
1. Ah Nah Podcast – Conversations with Myanmar, Ireland
2. ALTSEAN-Burma, Thailand
3. American Baptist Churches, KS, USA
4. American Baptist Churches, OH, USA
5. Arizona Kachin Community, AZ, USA
6. Australian Karen Organisation Inc
7. Bangladesh Rohingya Student Union (BRSU)
8. Better Burma, CA, USA
9. Burma Action Ireland
10. Burma Advocacy Group, USA
11. Burma Campaign UK
12. Burma Canadian Association of Ontario
13. Burma Task Force, IL, USA
14. Burmese American Community Institute, IN, USA
15. Burmese Women’s Union (BWU), Thailand
16. California Kachin Community, CA, USA
17. Calvary Burmese Church, Washington, DC
18. Campaign for a New Myanmar, Washington, DC, USA
19. Chin Association of Maryland, Inc. MD, USA
20. Chin Baptist Association, MD, USA
21. Community Rebuilding Centre, Bangladesh
22. Coordination Team for Emergency Relief (Karenni), Burma
23. Crane Center for Prevention of Mass Atrocities, CA, USA
24. CRPH Funding Ireland
25. Dallas Kachin Community, TX, USA
26. DEEKU-Karenni Community of Amarillo, TX, USA
27. Det Norsk Baptistsamfunn, Norway
28. DFW Kachin Baptist Church, TX
29. EarthRights International, Washington, DC, USA
30. European Karen Network, Norway
31. Florida Kachin Community, FL, USA
32. Free Burma Campaign South Africa
33. Georgia Kachin Community, GA, USA
34. Give A Helping Hand, Norway
35. Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect, NY, USA
36. Houston Kachin Community, TX, USA
37. Human Rights Foundation of Monland, Burma
38. Humanity Institute, Burma
39. Institute for Asian Democracy, Washington, DC. USA
40. International Campaign for the Rohingya, Washington, DC, USA
41. International Karen Organization, PA, USA
42. Iowa Kachin Community, IA, USA
43. Jewish World Watch, CA, USA
44. Justice For All, Washington, DC. USA
45. K’Nyaw Baptist Church, MN
46. Kachin American Community (Portland – Vancouver)
47. Kachin Baptist Churches, MD, USA
48. Kachin Community of Indiana, IN, USA
49. Kachin Community of USA
50. Kachin Contextual Analysis Team, Burma
51. Kachin refugee committee, Malaysia
52. Kachin Women’s Association Thailand
53. Kansas Karenni community, KS, USA
54. Karen American Association of Wisconsin, WI, USA
55. Karen Association of Huron, SD, USA
56. Karen Baptist Church, CO
57. Karen Community of Canada
58. Karen Community in Norway
59. Karen Community of Akron, OH, USA
60. Karen Community of Georgia, GA, USA
61. Karen Community of Greensboro, NC, USA
62. Karen Community of Iowa, IA, USA
63. Karen Community of Kansas City, KS & MO, USA
64. Karen Community of Minnesota, MN, USA
65. Karen Human Rights Group, Burma
66. Karen Organization of Illinois, IL, USA
67. Karen Peace Support Network, Thailand
68. Karen Women’s Organization (KWO), Thailand
69. Karen Youth Education Pathways, Washington, DC, USA
70. Karen Youth Network, Burma
71. Karenni Community of Arizona, AZ, USA
72. Karenni Community of Arkensas, AK, USA
73. Karenni Community of Austin, TX, USA
74. Karenni Community of Bowling Green, KY, USA
75. Karenni Community of Buffalo, NY, USA
76. Karenni Community of Chicago, IL, USA
77. Karenni Community of Colorado, CO, USA
78. Karenni Community of Dallas, TX, USA
79. Karenni community of Des Moines, IA, USA
80. Karenni Community of Florida, FL, USA
81. Karenni Community of Fort Worth, TX, USA
82. Karenni Community of Georgia, GA, USA
83. Karenni Community of Houston, TX, USA
84. Karenni Community of Idaho, ID, USA
85. Karenni Community of Indianapolis, IN, USA
86. Karenni Community of Massachusetts, MA, USA
87. Karenni Community of Michigan, MI, USA
88. Karenni community of Minnesota, MN, USA
89. Karenni Community of Missouri, MO, USA
90. Karenni Community of North Carolina, NC, USA
91. Karenni Community of Portland, OR, USA
92. Karenni Community of Rockford, IL, USA
93. Karenni Community of San Antonio, TX, USA
94. Karenni Community of Sioux Falls, SD, USA
95. Karenni Community of Utah, UT, USA
96. Karenni Community of Utica, NY, USA
97. Karenni Community of Washington, WA, USA
98. Karenni Community of Wisconsin, WI, USA
99. Karenni Human Rights Group, Burma
100. Karenni National Women’s Organization (KNWO), Thailand
101. Karenni Society of Omaha, NE, USA
102. Karenni-American Association, USA, USA
103. Kayan Women’s Organization (KyWO), Burma
104. Kentucky Kachin Community, KY, USA
105. Kuki Women’s Human Rights Organization (KWHRO), Burma
106. L’chaim! Jews Against the Death Penalty
107. Lahu Women’s Organization (LWO)
108. Louisiana Kachin Community, LA, USA
109. Maryland Kachin Community, MD, USA
110. Michigan Kachin Community, MI, USA
111. Milwaukee Myanmar Christian Church, WI, USA
112. Mingalarama Wiharra Monastery, MD, USA
113. Minnesota Kachin Community, MN, USA
114. Myanmar Campaign Network, Australia
115. Myanmar Christian Church of Metro Chicago, IL, USA
116. Never Again Coalition, OR, USA
117. New York Kachin Community, NY, USA
118. No Business With Genocide, Washington, DC, USA
119. North Carolina Kachin Community, NA, USA
120. NUG and CRPH Supporters Ireland
121. Omaha Kachin Community, NE, USA
122. Overseas Burmese Christian Fellowship, MA
123. Pa-O Women’s Union (PWU), Burma
124. Peace and Justice Committee, KY, USA
125. Pennsylvania Kachin Community, PA, USA
126. Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association
127. Rohingya Action Ireland
128. Rohingya Students Network, Bangladesh
129. Shan Women’s Action Network (SWAN), Thailand
130. South Carolina Kachin Community, SC, USA
131. Ta’ang Women’s Organization (TWO), Burma
132 Tavoy Women’s Union (TWU)
133. Temple Beth Tikvah, Roswell, GA
134. Temple Habonim, Barrington, RI
135. Tennessee Kachin Community, TN, USA
136. U.S. Campaign for Burma, Washington, DC, USA
137. Unitarian Universalist Association, NY, USA
138. Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, MA, USA
139. Unitarian Universalist Women’s Federation, WI, USA
140. United States Chin Coalition, IN, USA
141. UU College of Social Justice, MA, USA
142. UU Mass Action, MA, USA
143. UU Society of Oneonta NY, USA
144. Virginia Kachin Community, VA, USA
145. Washington Kachin Community, WA, USA
146. West Virginia Kachin Community, WV, USA
147. Women for Justice (WJ), Burma
148. Women’s League of Burma, Thailand
149. Women’s Peace Network, Washington, DC. USA
G20 Summit: Modi Must Face Pressure Over Arming and Support for Myanmar Military