Zoya Phan at UK Parliament
Zoya Phan, Burma Campaign UK’s programme director, took part with other friends from Burma in a Burma Hearing by the Conservative Party Human Rights Commission in Parliament today.
Violated: How Burma’s displaced women and girls are impacted by gender based violence
Burma Campaign UK”s Executive Director, Anna Roberts, spoke today at a vital conversation concluding UN Women’s 16 Days Of Activism against gender-based violence.
Anna Roberts reported on her recent visit to displacement camps on the Thai-Burmese border, and urged the case for humanitarian aid to go directly to the ethnic groups in border areas as the military’s hold weakens. Civil society is leading the opposition to the regime and BCUK is campaigning for the the political will to bring the military to international justice.
Watch conversation (Anna Roberts at 16.54 – 21.10, 42.15 – 47.18 and 1.01.40 – 1.03.16)
UK hits Myanmar border guard force colonel with sanctions – the Irrawaddy
The UK slapped sanctions on a leader of Myanmar junta-affiliated Border Guard Force (BGF) Colonel Saw Chit Thu and two others involved in the controversial Shwe Kokko new city gambling project in Karen State, over allegations of human trafficking, forced labor and human rights violations, reports the Irrawaddy.
The UK said the three people sanctioned over the Shwe Kokko project have been responsible for supporting or benefitting from the trafficking of individuals who were forced to work as scammers and were subject to torture, physical abuse and further cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment.
Burma Campaign UK’s director, Mark Farmaner, said: “[Saw] Chit Thu belongs in jail and these sanctions should act as a stepping stone towards holding him to account for decades of human rights violations by soldiers under his command.”
Burma’s civil war escalates – Jungle World
The three Brotherhood Alliance (3BA) of armed ethnic organisations has earned success in Myanmar against the troops of the military junta and taken part of the largest state of Shan, including two cities on the border with China, reports Jungle World.
The said goal of the 3BA was to stop the criminal enterprises in cities on the border with China. “The 3BA could never have launched the offensive without informing China and without China’s approval,” says Mark Farmaner, director of Burma Campaign UK.
“So far, the international community thought that the military was unbeatable and that the National Unity Government and the ethnic armed organisations had to negotiate with the junta from a certain point. Now it is conceivable that the military is being hunted out of office.”
Read Jungle World article (in German, translate icon to right of address bar)
Zoya Phan at World Liberty Congress
Zoya Phan, programme director of Burma Campaign UK, spoke at the first General Assembly of the World Liberty Congress in Vilnius, Lithuania, where 200 human rights and freedom activists, former political prisoners, political dissidents, opposition leaders, international human rights lawyers, and many more, from 56 countries dominated by autocratic regimes came together.
NGO updates its ‘boycott list’ of Myanmar military products – Mizzima
Burma Campaign UK has updated its Boycott List of products and services produced by companies owned by the Burmese military, reports Mizzima.
“The vast range of products and services provided by military-owned companies demonstrates their importance to the Burmese military and the dominant role that they have always played in the economy,” said Mark Farmaner, Director of Burma Campaign UK. “We particularly encourage embassies, UN agencies and international companies to look again at this Boycott List and ensure they are not helping to pay for the airstrikes and guns being used against the people of Burma.”
Myanmar regime opens larger gems emporium – the Irrawaddy
Myanmar’s regime is holding a gems emporium, a major revenue earner for the junta, in Naypyitaw, selling more gems than previous events, reports the Irrawaddy.
There has been an increasing interest in [selling gems in] dollars or euros amid a hard currency crisis as foreign investment fell and western countries imposed sanctions. The National Unity Government warned domestic businesses not to participate and said it would blacklist any trader taking part as sales bankroll the regime.
In July, UK retailer John Lewis said it would stop sourcing gems from Myanmar in response to pressure from Burma Campaign UK. In June TJC — one of the biggest TV shopping channels and online jewellery retailers in the UK — said it had stopped selling rubies and gems from Myanmar.
Mark Farmaner interviewed by BBC Burmese
BBC Burmese interviews Mark Farmaner, Director of Burma Campaign UK, following the recent ASEAN summit’s statement strongly condemning the continued acts of violence in Myanmar.
ASEAN reaffirmed support for its Five-Point Consensus: an immediate end to violence in the country; dialogue among all parties; the appointment of a special envoy; humanitarian assistance by ASEAN; and the special envoy’s visit to Myanmar to meet with all parties.
The UN Secretary-General told ASEAN: “I fully appreciate the principled approach of ASEAN through the Five-Point Consensus, and I urge all countries to seek a unified strategy towards Myanmar.” Mark Farmaner’s analysis is at 2.18 – 6.38 and 11.40 – end, dubbed into Burmese.
Myanmar’s military dictatorship won’t be around forever – Myanmar Now
Nant Zoya Phan, programme director of Burma Campaign UK, and Naw Wahkushee, director of Karen Peace Support Network, write in Myanmar Now:
“In our decades of interactions with presidents, prime ministers, government ministers and diplomats all over the world, one flawed assumption has underpinned their understanding and approach to our country. That assumption is that Myanmar’s military is somehow invincible.”
By contrast, KPSN’s recent report shows that the junta’s ability to control southeast Burma has significantly diminished since the February 2021 coup. And In Kachin, Chin and Karenni states the military is struggling to maintain or regain territory.
“We can’t say when the military will fall. But fall it will”, Zoya Phan and Wahkushee conclude. “We — and the world — need to be ready for what comes next.”
PM fails to raise Indian arms sales to Burmese military during G20 summit – Mizzima
Rishi Sunak did not even raise Indian arms sales to the Burmese military when he met Prime Minister Modi at the G20 summit, reports Mizzima.
Karin Valtersson, Campaigns Officer at Burma Campaign UK said: “Instead of human rights, Rishi Sunak appears to be prioritising economic opportunities, and India as a bulwark against China. However, with Modi becoming increasingly authoritarian domestically, and supporting brutal regimes internationally, it seems like a flawed approach to be subservient to Modi at the expense of the people of Burma, who want a genuine democracy and to be free of tyranny.
“The Foreign Secretary stated that engaging with China ‘doesn’t mean that we shy away from the tough conversations. It’s about voicing our concerns directly – face to face.’ When Rishi Sunak met with Modi face to face, he didn’t voice concerns directly, instead he did shy away.”