Joint Statement by 59 Civil Society Organizations

1. On December 24, 2021, Light Infantry Battalion 108 under the command of Light Infantry Division 66 of the terrorist military junta which is trying to seize power illegally, launched an offensive clearance operation near Moso Village in the western part of Hpruso Township in Karenni State, and arrested approximately 40 innocent villagers including women and children. They then put them in vehicles while they were handcuffed behind their backs and burned them alive, intentionally committing a massacre. Karenni State Consultative Council (KSCC) has released an emergency statement on these atrocity crimes.
2. Since May 20, 2021, nearly half of the Karenni population of 150,000 people have been displaced and became internally displaced persons (IDPs) due to brutal human rights violations, including artillery shelling, burning, violent crackdowns, torture, arbitrary arrests and killings by the military junta’s troops in Karenni State. More than 652 houses and buildings have been destroyed, and hundreds of innocent people have been killed.
3. We, the civil society organizations, strongly condemn the actions that amount to international crimes perpetrated by the military junta in Karenni State and we will stand with Karenni People to get justice. A similar massacre took place at Dontaw Village in Salingyi Township in Sagaing Region on December 7 where 11 innocent civilians were burned to death. Before this, the terrorist military junta has been the perpetrator on three occasions where at least 40 people were massacred in three different inhumane incidents in Kani Township, Saging Region in July. We are worried that these kinds of inhumane actions will continue to happen.
4. While the atrocities were being committed in Karenni State, since December 15 the terrorist military junta started to shell using heavy weaponry at Lay Kay Kaw and surrounding areas in Karen State and later with the use of airstrikes, as jets bombed the area indiscriminately. This has displaced more than 10,000 innocent civilians, half of whom fled to Thailand to take refuge. Some Thai villagers also had to relocate for security reasons as some houses on the Thai side of the border were destroyed by artillery shells fired by the terrorist military junta.
5. The terrorist military junta continues to perpetrate such inhumane criminal acts against people across the country including those in Karenni and Karen States, as they were not held to account for the international atrocity crimes they committed for decades and justice has not been brought. These acts of the terrorist military junta cause extremely high levels of human insecurity and suffering for the people.
6. Therefore, we urge the United Nations Security Council, Secretary General and international community to immediately respond and take action as follows so that the terrorist regime led by Min Aung Hlaing is effectively punished.
   1. To impose a global arms embargo on Myanmar so that the weapons and technology does not reach the terrorist junta;
   1. To refer the situation of Myanmar to the International Criminal Court (ICC); and
   1. Impose targeted sanctions on the terrorist military junta as well as their businesses and their cronies’ businesses to cut the flow of money to the terrorist junta.

Signed by the following civil society organizations:

1. Ah Nah – Conversations with Myanmar
2. All Arakan Student’s and Youths’ Congress
3. Arakan CSO Network
4. Assistance Association for Political Prisoners
5. Association of Human Rights Defenders and Promoters
6. Athan – Freedom of Expression Activist Organization
7. Blood Money Campaign
8. Burmese Canadian Network
9. Burmese Democratic Forces USA
10. Burmese People in Ireland
11. Burmese Women’s Union
12. CRPH and NUG Supporters Ireland
13. CRPH Funding Ireland
14. Democracy for Ethnic Minorities Organization
15. Democracy, Peace and Women’s Organization – DPW
16. Equality Myanmar
17. Federal Myanmar Benevolence Group New Zealand
18. Future Light Center
19. Future Thanlwin
20. Human Rights Foundation of Monland
21. Kachin Women’s Association Thailand
22. Karen Environmental and Social Action Network
23. Karen Human Rights Group
24. Karen Peace Support Network
25. Karen Rivers Watch
26. Karen Women’s Organization
27. Karenni Civil Society Network
28. Karenni Human Rights Group
29. Karenni National Women’s Organization
30. Karenni National Youth Organization
31. Kayah State Students Union
32. Kayan New Generation Youth
33. Kayan Women Organization
34. Keng Tung Youth
35. La Commumauté Birmane de France
36. Let’s Help Each Other
37. Metta Campaign Mandalay
38. Myanmar Democratic Force Denmark
39. Myanmar People Alliance (Shan State)
40. Network for Human Rights Documentation (ND-Burma)
41. Olive Organization
42. Pa-O Women’s Union
43. Progressive Voice
44. Save and Care Organization for Ethnic Women at Border Areas
45. Save Myanmar USA
46. Shan MATA
47. Sisters 2 Sisters
48. Sitt Nyein Pann Foundation
49. Southern Youth Development Organization
50. Support the Democracy Movement in Burma
51. Ta’ang Women’s Organization
52. Ta’ang Legal Aid
53. Tanintharyi MATA
54. Union of Karenni State Youth
55. US Advocacy Coalition Myanmar
56. Women Advocacy Coalition – Myanmar
57. Women for Women Foundation
58. Women’s League of Burma
59. Women’s Peace Network