Burma Campaign UK

Open letter: United States Congress must pass BURMA Act 2021

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Open letter from 58 diaspora organizations in the United States, endorsed by 87 Civil Societies inside Burma and across the globe, urging United States Congress to swiftly pass the BURMA Act of 2021.

To: Members of the U.S. Congress :

Subject: Pass the B.U.R.M.A. Act, Open Letter Signed by the Diaspora of Burma in America and Endorsed by the CSOs and CBOs inside Burma and Global Solidarity Organization to the United State Congress to Pass the Burma Unified through Rigorous Military Accountability (BURMA) Act of 2021

Dear United States Representatives and Senators,

We, the diaspora with our roots from all various regions of Burma residing in the United States, with the endorsement by civil society organizations and community-based organizations inside Burma and global solidarity organizations, write to express our support for the BURMA Act and request its expedited passage into law. Since October 6th, 2021, when 242 Burmese diaspora, local CSOs inside Burma, community-based organizations, and civil society organizations signed an open letter to the United States Congress to support the BURMA Act of 2021, the situation on the ground has only worsened.

As of March 26th, 2022, the military junta had killed 1,707 civilians and arbitrarily arrested 12,970 people according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners AAPP (Burma). Moreover, the military-perpetrated ongoing airstrikes and heavy artillery launches in ethnic areas had resulted in 1.2 million persons of concern, including 810,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) and 600,000 stateless Rohingyas being forced to flee homes for their lives according to the latest UNHCR report.

We welcome the latest set of actions by the United States to reaffirm its ongoing support for Burma’s democracy in particular through Senator McConnell-led amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act of 2022, additional treasury sanctions on March 25, 2022, a letter of support for Burmese democracy signed by 14 Senators and Members of Congress urging Secretary Blinken and State Department to take actions, the passage of S. Res 35 in the Senate, and US Government’s Rohingya Genocide Determination. We thank Representative Meeks, Representative Bera, and Representative Chabot for their joint statement on the one-year anniversary, and their continued demonstration of support for the democracy and freedom of the people in Burma. We also recognize the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s show of bipartisan support for the BURMA Act on October 21, 2021, and 102 cosponsors from both the House and Senate.

The humanitarian and democracy aid authorized in the BURMA Act are sorely needed, as is the investigation into the oil and gas industry, the accountability for the military’s ongoing war crimes, Rohingya genocide and atrocity crimes against ethnic minorities, and a special coordinator position to make sure it all gets done. The sanction language of the Burma Act targets the junta’s finances in ways that can hurt the regime while sparing the people from additional suffering.

We, the undersigned, urgently request the United States Congress to pass the BURMA Act of 2021 in consideration of the countless lives taken away by the murderous military junta and the dangers that the authoritarian regime imposes on human rights and democracy. We acknowledge the bipartisan support we have received from the House of Representatives and we call for the same unified support by our Senators. As Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere”, we look forward to our democratically-elected Congress taking swift, concrete actions in holding the junta accountable for their crimes and supporting the civilian’s efforts in building Burma’s path to democracy.

Sincerely, Signed by:

  1. Action Committee for Democracy Development, VA
  2. American Rohingya Advocacy/ Arakan Institute for Peace and Development, TX
  3. Anti-Dictatorship In Burma- DC Metro Area, MD
  4. Arizona Karen Baptist Church, AZ
  5. Bethel Myanmar Assembly of God, MD
  6. Boston Free Burma, MA
  7. Burma Association at Berkeley, CA
  8. Burma Task Force, IL
  9. Burmese American Community Institute (BACI), IN
  10. Burmese American Millennials, Washington DC
  11. Burmese Chin Community of Atlanta, GA
  12. Burmese Rohingya Community of Wisconsin , WI
  13. Burmese Student Association, Cal Poly SLO, CA
  14. California Karen Youth Connection, CA
  15. Calvary Burmese Church, Washington DC
  16. Campaign for a New Myanmar, Washington DC
  17. CDM Support Group (India), IL
  18. Chin Community of USA-DC Area, Washington DC
  19. Chin Leaders, WI
  20. Crane Center for Mass Atrocity Prevention, IN
  21. Decency & Clarity, VA
  22. DFW Myanmar Ethnic Community, TX
  23. Fort Wayne Burmese Christian Fellowship Church, IN
  24. Freedom For Burma, CA
  25. Free Myanmar , TX
  26. Free Myanmar Campaign, USA
  27. Global Movement for Myanmar Democracy (GM4MD), USA
  28. Institute for Asian Democracy, Washington DC
  29. International Campaign for the Rohingya (ICR), Washington DC
  30. International Christian Concern, Washington DC
  31. Karen Baptist Churches, USA
  32. Karen Organization of America, MN

 

  1. Karen Organization of San Diego, CA
  2. Karen Society of Nebraska, NE
  3. Karenni Community of North Carolina, NC
  4. Karenni Community of Rochester, NY
  5. Karenni Community of Trenton, NJ
  6. LA Rohingya Association/ America Rohingya Justice Network, CA
  7. Lyncourt Wesleyan Church (Myanmar Service), NY
  8. Myanmar Queer Straight Alliance, NY
  9. Myanmar Society of Georgia, GA
  10. Myanmar Student Union USA, CA & MN
  11. Nationalities Alliance of Burma, USA
  12. No Business with Genocide, Washington DC
  13. Overseas Burmese Christians Fellowship, MA
  14. Philadelphia Burmese Baptist Church, PA
  15. Prayer Pioneers, WV
  16. Sacred City, CA
  17. Save Myanmar San Francisco, CA
  18. Sizang Burmese Mission Church, MD
  19. Students for Free Burma (SFB), CA
  20. Support the Democracy Movement in Burma, NY
  21. Syracuse Myanmar Community, NY
  22. US Advocacy Coalition for Myanmar (USACM), Washington DC
  23. S. Campaign for Burma, Washington DC
  24. United States Chin Coalition (USCC), IN
  25. Utica Karen Baptist Church, NY
  26. Utica Karen Community, NY

 

Endorsed by:

  1. 8888 Generation, New Zealand
  2. All Arakan Students’ and Youths’ Congress
  3. All Burma Democratic Face in New Zealand
  4. ALTSEAN-Burma
  5. Alternative Solutions for Rural Communities (ASORCOM)
  6. Assistance Association for Political Prisoners
  7. Association of Human Rights Defenders and Promoters
  8. Athan Freedom of Expression Activist Organization
  9. Auckland Kachin Community, New Zealand
  10. Auckland Zomi Community, New Zealand
  11. Australian Karen Organisation Inc
  12. Backpack Health Workers Team
  13. Blood Money Campaign
  14. Boat People SOS (BPSOS)
  15. Burma Campaign UK
  16. Burma Medical Association

 

  1. Burmese Canadian Network
  2. Burmese Rohingya Welfare Organisation, New Zealand
  3. Burmese Women’s Union
  4. California-Nevada Philippine Solidarity Task Force, United Methodist Church
  5. Cambodian Americans and Friends for Democracy and Human Rights Advocate, USA
  6. Chin Community of Auckland, New Zealand
  7. CRPH Support Group- Norway
  8. Democracy for Ethnic Minorities Organization
  9. Democracy for Myanmar – Working Group, New Zealand
  10. Democracy, Peace and Women’s Organization – DPW
  11. Democratic Youth Council
  12. EarthRights International
  13. Equality Myanmar
  14. Federal Myanmar Benevolence Group, New Zealand
  15. Fortify Rights
  16. Foundation of Khmer Samaki, USA
  17. Future Light Center
  18. Future Thanlwin
  19. General Strike Committee for Nationalities
  20. Generation Wave
  21. Human Rights Action Center
  22. Human Rights Foundation of Monland
  23. International Association, Myanmar-Switzerland
  24. International Ministries
  25. International Society of Myanmar Scholars and Professionals
  26. Justice For Myanmar
  27. Kachin Women’s Association Thailand
  28. Karen Human Rights Group
  29. Karen Peace Support Network
  30. Karen Women’s Organization
  31. Karenni Civil Society Network
  32. Karenni National Women’s Organization
  33. Karenni Society, New Zealand
  34. Keng Tung Youth
  35. Key of The World
  36. Me Boun Foundation
  37. Metta Campaign Mandalay
  38. Myanmar Engineers, New Zealand
  39. Myanmar Gonye, New Zealand
  40. Myanmar People Alliance, Shan State
  41. Myanmar Students’ Union in New Zealand
  42. Myanmar Youth and Student Association-Japan
  43. Network for Human Rights Documentation-Burma (ND-Burma)
  44. New Zealand Doctors for NUG

 

  1. New Zealand Karen Association
  2. New Zealand Zo Community
  3. Olive Organization
  4. Overseas Mon Association, New Zealand
  5. Progressive Voice
  6. Pyithu Gonye, New Zealand
  7. Rohingya Christian Community
  8. Rohingya-Voice
  9. Rvwang Community Association, New Zealand
  10. San Francisco Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines
  11. Save and Care Organization for Women at Border Areas
  12. Save Myanmar Fundraising Group, New Zealand
  13. Shan Community, New Zealand
  14. Shan MATA
  15. Sisters 2 Sisters
  16. Sitt Nyein Pann Foundation
  17. Southern Youth Development Organization
  18. Synergy- Social Harmony Organization
  19. Ta’ang Legal Aid
  20. Ta’ang Women’s Organization
  21. Tanintharyi MATA
  22. Temple Emanu-El
  23. Temple Emanu-El of Utica, NY
  24. Twitter Team for Revolution
  25. Union of Karenni State Youth
  26. Women Advocacy Coalition- Myanmar
  27. Women’s League of Burma

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