February 1, 2023
Today as we mark the second anniversary of the Myanmar military coup, the people in Myanmar demonstrate a silent strike throughout the country. Arakan Rohingya National Alliance (ARNA) would like to express solidarity with all Myanmar people who resist in every way possible, with silent strikes, protests and armed resistance. We stand with the people of Myanmar and will continue to struggle to bring democracy to Myanmar that will guarantee equal rights and justice for everyone, regardless of race and religion. On this day of the second anniversary of the military coup, the ARNA would also like to reiterate the Rohingya people’s unwavering support to the pro-democracy forces spearheading the relentless struggle to topple the military junta and bring about genuine democracy by establishing an inclusive federal democratic union in Myanmar.
Two years ago today, the Myanmar military led by General Min Aung Hlaing arrested many of the elected leaders, politicians, and activists and brutally seized power. The devastating impact is that millions of people need humanitarian assistance, the country’s economy is in crisis, and fighting between revolutionary armed groups and the military is outspreading across the country.
Myanmar military’s widespread violence against the people displaced around 1.5 million. Internally displaced refugees have no proper access to food, health, clothing, medicine and a place to sleep. The military junta has torched or destroyed tens of thousands of houses.
The junta had killed thousands of civilians, activists, politicians and students, including young children, since the coup. Children, women and older people were killed by air strikes, mostly in ethnic areas. About 15,000 remain in notorious prisons.
In early 2020, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered provisional measures to protect the Rohingya people. However, the Rohingya situation in Myanmar remains unchanged in breach of the order.
Since the coup, the junta has arrested more than 3,000 Rohingya fleeing persecution and adverse situation towards Southeast Asian countries and sentenced them to two to five years with hard labour. The recent military massacre of 13 Rohingya youths near Yangon, who were escaping the unbearable situation, was the worst carnage after the 2017 Rohingya genocide.
Since April 2021, the ASEAN has been trying to architect Myanmar’s future with a five-point consensus, but this does not work effectively as the Myanmar junta does not want to implement it.
Despite the first historic resolution on Myanmar by United Nations Security Council, the junta continues extensive violence against Myanmar people.
The junta has been planning to hold an election this year and enacted a strict law that will not allow any party to participate but will only enable a military proxy party. The junta’s approach is to transform from a military coup to a quasi-civilian government. The international community must reject this sham election.
It is appalling that the junta’s allies have not stopped supplying fighter jets, fuels and weapons used to kill the innocent people of Myanmar, including Rohingya.
The junta uses insufficient actions against the junta and impunity as a green signal to continue atrocities against the people, including the Rohingya. Inadequate sanctions against the entities are financing the junta to hold power indefinitely and be able to purchase more weapons.
ARNA urges the international community to take more decisive actions so that the junta will feel pressure to give up power and block all financial resources enabling junta-related businesses to stay intact.
ARNA urges the international community to support more humanitarian assistance to all internally displaced refugees inside the country and at the borders, including the Rohingya genocide survivors in Bangladesh.
ARNA urges the international community to support global justice mechanisms to end impunity; and support the Rohingya cases at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), International Criminal Court (ICC), Argentinian Court and the most recently submitted to the German Court by the diverse community from Myanmar.
For more information, please contact:
Tun Khin: +447888714866
Nay San Lwin: +4917662139138