Open Letter to President Joe Biden
President Joseph R. Biden, Jr.
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, DC 20500
March 5, 2021
Dear President Biden:
We write to you today as concerned multi-ethnic Burmese Americans and their American friends. We are encouraged by the swift actions your administration has taken in response to the military coup against the democratically elected civilian government of Burma (Myanmar). As the situation quickly escalates on the ground, we would like to request additional support for the people of Burma as they struggle tirelessly and non-violently for democracy and human rights.
The coup on February 1, 2021 is a manifestation of the “military coup culture” which has plagued Burma since the 1962 coup by General Ne Win. Decades of successive coups and military rule have severely hampered Burma’s development and isolated its people from the international community. They have brought devastation for the Burmese people, including many ethnic minority groups, oppressed under the iron boots of military dictatorship.
The unlawful seizing of power in this most recent coup signifies the death of a nascent democratic process. Yet the people of Burma have bravely resisted the military through a nation-wide Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM).
The military has violently responded to the people’s opposition by arresting CDM participants and protesters. It has shut down telecommunications and enacted a series of laws to restrict and suspend citizens’ fundamental rights, curtailing peaceful gathering and suppressing freedom of expression. The events of March 3, the bloodiest day of the crackdown to date, illustrated the military’s blatant disregard for civilians’ lives and rights as security forces armed with lethal weapons fired indiscriminately at unarmed civilians. More than 50 innocent people have been killed since the February 1 coup.
Contrary to statements by leaders of some other nations, the military coup is not just an internal affair of Burma. It poses a great geopolitical and economic threat to the Indo-Pacific region, a region in which the United States has made vast investments, as Burma holds a unique position at the crossroads of China, India, and Southeast Asia. The coup will have resounding implications for the national security interests of the United States.
We welcome and applaud the executive actions you took on February 11 and your declaration that the actions of the Burmese military constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States. We applaud the new restrictions aimed at the military junta imposed by the Commerce Department yesterday.
The decisive and determined support of the international community, led by the United States, is vitally needed at this time to restore and sustain democratic processes in Burma. The establishment of a federal democratic government has long been the aim of popular struggles in Burma, but past struggles toward democracy were met with ruthless and relentless suppression by the military. The lack of adequate and consistent support from the international community allowed military juntas to halt democratization for over sixty years. The current struggle against the coup represents a critical opportunity for the United States and its international allies to contribute to finally achieving the aim of democracy in Burma.
In addition to the action you have already taken, we, as members and friends of the multi-ethnic Burmese American community, and as your constituents, lend our collective support to proposed Senate Resolution number 35 introduced by Senator Cardin and Senator Young, as well as House Resolution number 134 introduced by Representative Levin, condemning the military coup in Burma and the unlawful detention of civilian leaders. As the situation continues to worsen, we request that you further your support to the people of Burma through the following immediate actions:
- Recognize the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (CRPH) as representatives of the people in Burma elected in the General Election held on November 8, 2020.
- Support the CRPH, a coalition of the National League for Democracy (NLD) and ethnic minority forces, as the only pathway to root the military junta out of national politics.
- Strongly support efforts at constitutional and institutional reform based on the principles and spirit of the Panglong Agreement, that guarantees equality and the rights of all ethnic groups under a federal democratic union, with a particular emphasis on the reformation of the defense and security sector to ensure that the Burmese military is rooted out of national politics and is placed firmly under a civilian government.
- Impose tougher, coordinated, and targeted sanctions on the military leadership and their associates, including its business conglomerates Myanmar Economic Holding Limited (MEHL) and Myanmar Economic Corporation (MEC), their subsidiaries, and crony companies listed in the Independent International Fact Finding Mission on Myanmar by the UN Human Rights Council.
- Strengthen US efforts to persuade allies, key stakeholders in the Indo–Pacific region, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to pressure the military junta to return power to the democratically elected civilian representatives and to take all steps necessary to end the military coup and help restore the democratic processes in Burma.
- Bring forward the current United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution and mandate an emergency convening to consider invoking Chapter VII authority under the UN Charter, imposing a global arms embargo, and expedited referral to the International Criminal Court to investigate and prosecute crimes against humanity.
- Pressure China and Russia to effectively cooperate in the UNSC and cease their support for the military coup and violent crackdowns on peaceful protesters.
- Call on the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and countries neighboring Myanmar to provide protection for refugees fleeing the crackdown on peaceful demonstrations, under the mandate of the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees.
The Burmese diaspora in the United States is a by-product of past military regimes and atrocities committed by them. While the diaspora are able to enjoy the freedom of their adopted country, families, friends, and others in Burma are being denied their fundamental freedoms and basic human rights. The multi-ethnic Burmese-American community across the United States stands with the people of Burma in their struggle for genuine democracy and human rights. We believe that the United States government, a champion of democracy, will continue to support and take effective action to restore democracy in Burma by any means necessary.
Respectfully,
A Coalition of Multi-Ethnic Burma (Myanmar) Advocacy Groups and Friends:
Anti-Dictatorship in Burma – District of Columbia Metropolitan Area (ADB-DCMA)
Arakan Institute for Peace and Development (AiPAD)
Burma Task Force
Burmese American Community Institute (BACI)
Burmese Refugee Scholarship Program Alumni Network
Chin Youth Organization of North America
Free Myanmar
Free Myanmar Campaign USA
Fulbright Alumni Myanmar
Global Movement for Myanmar Democracy
International Campaign for the Rohingya
Karen Organization of America
Karen Student Association at UNO
Myanmar Student and Professional Network USA
Nationalities’ Alliance of Burma, U.S.A.
No Business With Genocide
YSEALI Alumni Myanmar
Contact: info@thebaci.org
