Joint statement calling on the UN to cease all forms of cooperation that lend legitimacy to the Myanmar military junta, signed by 255 CSOs.
UN Agencies Must Comply with their Obligations to Uphold Human Rights and Cease Lending Legitimacy to the Myanmar Military Junta
We, the undersigned 255 civil society organizations, call on all United Nations (UN) agencies, Funds, Programmes and other Entities to cease all forms of cooperation that lend legitimacy to the illegal murderous Myanmar military junta. This includes signing Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) and inviting junta representatives to meetings as the junta continues to callously inflict immense suffering on the people of Myanmar and deepen an already catastrophic human rights and humanitarian crisis.
The UN agencies are, through the signing of the MoUs and other forms of cooperation, providing the military junta legitimacy and a platform to fuel its propaganda machine. Partnering with the junta
through an MoU compromises the UN’s ability to promote and protect human rights by emboldening the junta to continue its grave human rights violations and giving it leverage to advance its craven political and military goals.
The recent decision by the UN General Assembly to reject the military junta’s application for credentials at the UN is a confirmation from the world body that the military junta does not represent Myanmar at the UN. All UN agencies should now accept nominations made by the current UN Permanent Representative, Ambassador U Kyaw Moe Tun appointed by the National Unity Government (NUG), to represent Myanmar in all UN bodies as well as related forums and meetings.
Shockingly, on 17 November, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) co-organized a virtual meeting attended by the military junta. Other UN agencies have hosted summits, meetings, and events attended by the military junta, including the “ITU Digital World 2021”, UNWTO’s “The Future of World Tourism Summit-Ministerial Debate” and UNEP’s “United Nations Biodiversity Conference”.
The UN Charter requires agencies, funds and programmes to advance human rights as a core UN pillar. The UN must not therefore make deals with the devil by pandering to the military junta, at the expense of human rights, in exchange for “access”. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) must also guide a rights-based approach in all UN programming, with human rights due diligence and the “do no harm” principle placed at the core of all operations as called for by the UN Secretary-General. This is essential to respecting and protecting the human rights guaranteed to the people of Myanmar in line with the Secretary-General’s “Call to Action for Human Rights”.
The Myanmar military junta has been designated a terrorist organization under Myanmar’s national
law by the duly elected government. Every day it commits acts of terrorism
as defined by international experts on Myanmar. Since the attempted coup on 1 February, 2021, the Myanmar military has killed over 1,323 people including around 100 children,
and has detained
10,815 people. Since September, Myanmar
military has been ferociously and systematically shelling
and burning Thantlang, Chin State, burning down over 250 houses. On 5 December, they opened fire and rammed a military vehicle into peaceful protesters, killing five and injuring dozens more in Yangon. These patterns of extreme violence
and terrorist acts are being repeated by junta forces across the country. UN agencies espouse their commitment to human rights and the humanitarian principle of ‘Do No Harm’, yet these agencies breach
their acclaimed principles of “neutrality and impartiality” when they choose
to work with a military
junta that continues
to commit extreme
terrorist acts.
Cooperating with the military junta not only contradicts UN agencies’ obligations to neutrality and upholding human rights, but it is a misguided approach to assisting the people of Myanmar. The junta continues to weaponize and destroy humanitarian aid, arresting and killing those who provide it, and is forcing more and more people into displacement and destitution through continuous attacks on civilians. At the same time, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and World Food Programme have been restricted and blocked from providing lifesaving humanitarian aid, including to Chin and Rohingya people, raising serious questions about the effectiveness of the MoUs.
The UN must learn from its systemic failure during the Rohingya genocide. It must not forget that it failed to stop, mitigate, or sufficiently draw attention to violence that was laid out by the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission which concluded that the leaders of the Myanmar military should be investigated and prosecuted for crimes they committed against the Rohingya, including genocide and crimes against humanity. The UN agencies in Myanmar chose to keep quiet about the genocidal atrocities being committed in Rakhine State in the hope of maintaining access and continuing their programs, contributing to a worsening human rights situation in the long term. Such systemic failures by the UN, as detailed in the Rosenthal report, must not continue to be repeated over and over while the people of Myanmar put their lives at risk in defiance of the military junta. The UN Resident Coordinator in Myanmar is risking yet another repetition of these systemic failures of the UN in Myanmar, failing to regularly and publicly speak on the situation on the ground. The Resident Coordinator must immediately consult with the NUG and Myanmar civil society in responding to the crisis.
It is imperative to deliver humanitarian aid to those most in need, without placing further risks to human security. The realignment of UN programming forced by the failed coup presents an opportunity to the UN Country Team to develop a new common Human Rights Strategy that identifies Myanmar civil society, ethnic organizations and the NUG – the sole and legitimate government of Myanmar – as key implementing partners. The UN must meet with the NUG and provide cross-border aid through local humanitarian and civil society organizations. Ethnic health organizations and civil society organizations operating in conflict areas as well as newly established networks across the country have the experience and capacity to deliver aid effectively and have gained the confidence of the people and the infrastructure to make this a reality.
The attempted coup has led to the Spring Revolution, a nationwide movement of diverse groups including workers, labor unions, ethnic people, educators, medical professionals, women, LGBTIQ, police, military personnel and civil society to finally free the country from the military’s oppression. The Spring Revolution is succeeding. For nearly eleven months, the junta has been unable to gain control and power over the country. The UN must stand with the people of Myanmar and support their struggle – in solidarity.
In line with the June 2021 UN General Assembly resolution, UN agencies must clearly show support for democracy and the will of the people of Myanmar, and call for the end of the junta’s violence against civilians and peaceful protesters and the immediate release of political prisoners.
The military junta is not a partner to solve the humanitarian crisis, as they are the root cause of this crisis.
The UN must not continue to fail the people of Myanmar but deliver on its human rights obligations as its paramount consideration and on its promise to “Do No Harm’’.
Signed by 255 civil society organizations:
- 8888 Generation (New Zealand)
- Action Committee for Democracy Development
- Advocates for Public Interest Law
- Ah Nah: Conversations with Myanmar Team
- Albany Karen community, Albany, NY
- All Arakan Students’ and Youths’ Congress
- All Burma Democratic Face in New Zealand
- ALTSEAN-Burma
- America Rohingya Justice Network
- American Baptist Churches USA
- Anti-Junta Mass Movement Committee
- Arakan Institute for Peace and Development
- Arakan Rohingya Union
- Arizona Kachin Community
- ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights
- Asia Democracy Network
- Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network (APRRN)
- Asia Pacific Solidarity Coalition
- Asian Companions Against Brutality
- Asian Dignity Initiative
- Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA)
- Assistance Association for Political Prisoners
- Association for Advancing Freedom of Religion or Belief in Vietnam (AAFoRB-Vn)
- Association of Human Rights Defenders and Promoters
- Association Suisse-Birmanie
- Athan – Freedom of Expression Activist Organization
- Auckland Kachin Community NZ
- Auckland Zomi Community
- AwazCDS-Pakistan
- Backpack Health Workers Team
- Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM), India
- Baptist World Alliance
- Blood Money Campaign
- Boat People SOS
- Burma Action Ireland
- Burma Campaign UK
- Burma Human Rights Network
- Burma Medical Association
- Burma Task Force
- Burmese American Millennials
- Burmese Democratic Forces
- Burmese Rohingya Association of North America
- Burmese Rohingya Community of Georgia
- Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK
- Burmese Rohingya Welfare Organisation New Zealand
- Burmese Women’s Union
- Busan Solidarity Network for Democracy in Myanmar
- Bytes For All, Pakistan
- Calgary Karen Community Association (CKCA)
- California Kachin Community
- Campaign for a New Myanmar
- Central European Institute of Asian Studies
- Centre for Human Rights and Development, Mongolia
- Changjak21
- Chin Community of Auckland
- Chin Leaders of Tomorrow (CLT)
- CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation
- Coalition to Abolish Modern-day Slavery in Asia (CAMSA)
- Committee for Religious Freedom in Vietnam
- COVIL
- CRPH Funding Ireland
- CRPH/NUG Supporters Ireland
- Dalit Foundation
- Dallas Kachin Community
- Decency & Clarity
- Democracy for Myanmar – Working Group (NZ)
- Democracy, Peace and Women’s Organization -DPW
- Ecumenical Youth Council in Korea
- Edmonton Karen Community Youth Organization
- Education Community Woorijari Social Cooperation
- Educational Initiatives Myanmar
- Equality Myanmar
- European Karen Network
- Federal Myanmar Benevolence Group (NZ)
- Florida Kachin Community
- Free Burma Action Bay/USA/Global
- Free Myanmar Campaign USA/BACI
- Freedom for Burma
- Freedom, Justice, Equality for Myanmar
- Future Light Center
- Future Thanlwin
- Georgia Kachin Community
- Global Movement for Myanmar Democracy (GM4MD)
- Green Party Korea International Committee
- Gwanak Education Community MODU
- Houston Kachin Community
- Human Rights Development for Myanmar
- Human Rights Foundation of Monland
- IMPARSIAL, Indonesia
- Incorporated Organization Shilcheon Bulgyo
- Info Birmanie
- Initiatives for International Dialogue
- Institute for Asian Democracy
- Institute for Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention (I-GMAP)
- International Campaign for the Rohingya
- International Child Rights Center (InCRC)
- International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH)
- International Karen Organisation
- International Ministries – American Baptist Foreign Mission Society
- International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC)
- Iowa Kachin Community
- Justice for Myanmar (JFM)
- Kachin American Community (Portland – Vancouver)
- Kachin Community of Indiana
- Kachin Community of USA
- Kachin National Organization USA
- Kachin Women’s Association Thailand
- Karapatan Alliance Philippines
- Karen American Association of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI
- Karen Association Ireland
- Karen Association of Huron, SD
- Karen Community of Akron, OH
- Karen Community of Austin, Texas
- Karen Community of Canada (KCC)
- Karen Community of Czech Republic
- Karen Community of Finland
- Karen Community of Hamilton
- Karen Community of Iowa, IA
- Karen Community of Ireland
- Karen Community of Israel
- Karen Community of Kansas City, KS & MO
- Karen Community of Kitchener & Waterloo
- Karen Community of Leamington K
- Karen Community of Lethbridge
- Karen Community of London
- Karen Community of Minnesota, MN
- Karen Community of Ottawa
- Karen Community of Regina
- Karen Community of Saskatoon
- Karen Community of Thunderbay
- Karen Community of Toronto
- Karen Community of Windsor
- Karen Community of Winnipeg
- Karen Community Society of British Columbia (KCSBC)
- Karen Environmental and Social Action Network
- Karen Human Rights Group
- Karen Organization of America
- Karen Organization of Illinois, IL
- Karen Peace Support Network
- Karen Rivers Watch
- Karen Swedish Community (KCS)
- Karen Thai Group
- Karen Women’s Organization
- Karen Youth Education Pathways
- Karen Youth Networks
- Karen Youth of Norway
- Karen Youth of Toronto
- Karen Youth Organization
- Karenni Civil Society Network
- Karenni Human Rights Group
- Karenni National Women’s Organization
- Karenni Society New Zealand
- Keng Tung Youth
- Kentucky Kachin Community
- Kijamii Table
- Korea Christian Solidarity for Democracy in Myanmar
- Korea Karen Organization
- Korea Karen Youth Organization
- Korean Civil Society in Solidarity with the Rohingya
- Korean Civil Society in Support of Democracy in Myanmar
- Korean Dentists Association for Healthy Society, Busan-Kyungnam branch
- Korean House for International Solidarity
- Korean Solidarity for Overseas Community Organization
- La Communauté Birmanie de France
- LA Rohingya Association
- Louisiana Kachin Community
- Maldivian Democracy Network (MDN), Maldives
- Maryland Kachin Community
- May 18 Seoul Memorial Society
- Michigan Kachin Community
- Migrant Health Association in Korea WeFriends
- MINBYUN – Lawyers for a Democratic Society International Solidarity Committee
- Minnesota Kachin Community
- Myanmar Accountability Project
- Myanmar Advocacy Coalition
- Myanmar Doctors for Human Rights Network
- Myanmar Engineers – New Zealand
- Myanmar Family Community Ireland (MFCI)
- Myanmar Gonye (New Zealand)
- Myanmar Hindu Union
- Myanmar People Alliance (Shan State)
- Myanmar Students’ Union in New Zealand
- National Clergy Conference for Justice and Peace
- National Council of YMCAs of Korea
- Nationalities Alliance of Burma USA
- NeT Organization
- Netherlands-Myanmar Solidarity Platform
- Network for Human Rights Documentation Burma (ND-Burma)
- Never Again Coalition
- New Bodhisattva Network
- New York Kachin Community
- New Zealand Doctors for NUG
- New Zealand Karen Association
- New Zealand Zo Community Inc.
- No Business With Genocide
- North Carolina Kachin Community
- Nyan Lynn Thit Analytica
- Olive Organization
- Omaha Kachin Community
- Oversea Karen Organization Japan
- Overseas Burmese Christian Fellowship
- Overseas Mon Association New Zealand
- Pa-O Women’s Union
- Pennsylvania Kachin Community
- People, not Profit
- People’s Watch, India
- People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy (PSPD)
- Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA)
- PIDA (People’s Initiative for Development Alternatives)
- Progressive 3.0
- Progressive Korea
- Progressive Voice
- Pyithu Gonye (New Zealand)
- Pyungdung Parents Union
- Rohingya Cultural Center of Chicago
- Rvwang Community Association New Zealand
- Save and Care Organization for Ethnic Women on the Border Areas
- Save Myanmar Fundraising Group (New Zealand)
- Save the Salween Network
- SEA Junction
- Shan Community (New Zealand)
- Shan MATA
- Sisters 2 Sisters
- Sitt Nyein Pann Foundation
- Solidarity for Another World
- Solidarity for Peace & Human Rights in Asia
- South Carolina Kachin Community
- Spouses of Peoples’ Soldiers
- Spring Revolution Interfaith Network
- Students for Free Burma
- Support Group for Democracy in Myanmar (Netherlands)
- Support the Democracy Movement in Burma
- Supporters Group for Migrant Workers Movement in Korea
- Swedish Foundation for Human Rights
- Synergy – Social Harmony Organization
- Ta’ang Women’s Organization
- Tennessee Kachin Community
- The Center For Freedom of Information
- The Human Rights Center of the National Council of Churches in Korea
- The Rohingya American Society (RAS)
- The Sound of Hope
- Thint Myat Lo Thu Myar
- U.S. Campaign for Burma
- ULSAN MIGRANT CENTER
- Union of Karenni State Youth
- Unitarian Universalist Association
- Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC)
- US Advocacy Coalition for Myanmar
- Utica Karen Community, NY
- Virginia Kachin Community
- Washington Kachin Community
- West Virginia Kachin Community
- Women’s League of Burma
- Women’s Peace Network
- Wonders International
English: https://bit.ly/3s1b7gC
Burmese: https://bit.ly/3oGuBVW