Call for Qatar to stop hosting Myanmar military vessels – Mizzima
Burma Campaign UK has called on the Qatari government – currently hosting the football world cup – to stop allowing cargo vessels owned by the Myanmar military to dock at ports in Qatar, reports Mizzima.
“By allowing Burmese military-owned vessels to use Qatari ports, Qatar is helping the Burmese military to raise funds to commit the human rights violations which Qatar condemns,” said Mark Farmaner, Director at Burma Campaign UK. “It is not consistent for Qatar to condemn human rights violations by the Burmese military but do business with them at the same time. Qatar must ban the Burmese military from using its ports.”
Myanmar frees former UK ambassador amid mass prisoner release – the Guardian
Almost 6,000 people are being released from prison in Burma, including Britain’s former ambassador Vicky Bowman and her husband, and the activist Mya Aye, a leader of the 1988 pro-democracy uprising, reports the Guardian.
That still leaves a record high of 13,000 political prisoners in detention. “Despite the record number of political prisoners, they barely get mentioned by governments and world leaders,” said Wai Hnin Pwint Thon, senior advocacy officer at Burma Campaign UK and daughter of Mya Aye. “The fact that so many people have been jailed demonstrates the level of fear the Burmese military have of the people of Burma. The Burmese military are afraid for their survival and arrest anyone they see as a threat.”
Mark Farmaner interviewed by BBC Burmese
BBC Burmese interviews Montse Ferrer, lead researcher on Amnesty International’s new report on the national and international corporate actors involved in the supply of aviation fuel to the military.
The programme includes an interview with Mark Farmaner, Burma Campaign UK’s Director, on the need to stop the supply to help end airstrikes, and the practicalities of imposing sanctions.
Watch BBC Burmese report (Mark Farmaner interviewed 7.18 – 13.18, dubbed into Burmese)
US, EU add more sanctions as Myanmar violence deepens – Al Jazeera
The United States and European Union have announced new sanctions against Myanmar’s military regime aimed at officials, companies and arms dealers, reports Al Jazeera.
“The EU has the right policy, to cut off sources of revenue and arms to the Burmese military, but they are not implementing it fast enough,” Mark Farmaner, Director of Burma Campaign UK said in a statement. “Every day there are more airstrikes, artillery strikes or arrests, the EU needs a sense of urgency. Cutting off the Burmese military’s access to money and arms will save lives.”
Puma Energy pulls out of Burma – Salween Press
Puma Energy, the foreign business that has been mainly involved in the aircraft oil supply chain since 1997, is pulling out of Burma, reports the Karen media/news company Salween Press.
Amnesty International’s investigation into the oil exporting company, and the request to the fuel exporting companies to stop exporting aircraft to prevent civilian casualties, have created a crisis for the Military Council. This is really effective. “This is a big pressure for the Myanmar military,” says Nant Zoya Phan, the campaign leader of Burma Campaign UK.
Myanmar military bombs concert, committing ‘war crime’ – VICE Media News
Up to 80 people have been killed, local celebrities and civilians among them, after the junta dropped four bombs on a celebration in Kachin State, reports VICE Media News.
Mark Farmaner, the director of Burma Campaign UK, described the attack as a “dramatic escalation,” characterising the junta as desperately “lashing out” against its adversaries. “They’re in a fight for their very survival in a way they’ve never been before.”
He called for increased sanctions: “These jets were from foreign countries, the pilots were trained in aeroplanes from foreign countries, the aviation fuel in those jets is from foreign countries. There’s a lot more that can be done to cut the supplies needed to carry out these kinds of attacks.”
Airstrike at Myanmar music festival – New Musical Express
At least 60 people have reportedly been killed and more than 100 injured by Burmese military airstrikes on a music festival in Kachin State, reports the New Musical Express. The event was celebrating its 62nd anniversary since the founding of Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO).
Burma Campaign UK tweeted “Horrific reports of 60 killed & 200 injured … We renew our call for aviation fuel sanctions to try to help stop these attacks.”
Execution of political opponents will only ‘accelerate the revolution’, say campaigners – i News
The exiled National Unity Government’s first Rohingya representative branded the execution of four human rights activists “prison murders”, reports i News.
Wai Hnin Pwint Thon, senior advocacy officer at Burma Campaign UK, had known one of the four, Ko Jimmy, all her life as he was a close friend of her father, also a jailed activist.
She said: “It is a sad day. I grew up with him. He really inspired me to get involved in politics and fighting for freedom and human rights. It’s really sad that we are losing such a courageous person.”
Wai Hnin said the world must cut ties with the army, stop the flow of cash and arms and hold the junta accountable for its past and present crimes.
Puma Energy leaves Myanmar after long campaign by civil society groups – Salween Press
After long campaign by rights groups, Puma Energy decided to withdraw from Burma, reports the Karen media/news company Salween Press.
Zoya Phan, Campaign manager at Burma Campaign UK said, “Puma Energy is leaving Burma. It means our campaigns play crucial role to pressure foreign companies as well as Burmese military junta. Pressure on companies providing aviation fuel to the Burmese military is growing. Now governments like UK and others must stop companies selling aviation fuel and aircraft parts to the Burmese military.”
Over a million people are displaced across Burma and more than 370,000 people are displaced in Karen State alone, many because of the airstrikes and the threat of airstrikes by the Burmese military.
Aung San Suu Kyi and Australian economist adviser sentenced to 3 years – UPI
Aung San Suu Kyi and her economic advisor, Australian economist Sean Turnell, have been sentenced to three years behind bars on espionage charges, reports United Press International. In total, Suu Kyi has been sentenced to more than 20 years’ imprisonment since being arrested in the February 2021 coup.
Mark Farmaner, director of Burma Campaign UK, tweeted that the sentencing of Turnell is “personal. This isn’t hostage diplomacy. Sean was a loyal and close ally of Aung San Suu Kyi, working on economic reforms, which impacted the economic interests of the military, and they hate him for it. Australia should be sanctioning the economic interests of the military.”