Dear respected members of the Parliament of Australia, thank you so much for giving me this great opportunity to represent my people and the country of Myanmar in your audience. The people of Myanmar truly have suffered too much for far too long under the hands of the failed coup leader Min Aung Hlaing and his military junta regime’s reign-of-terror. This is truly the darkest period in our history, and the people of Myanmar are facing the brunt of this darkness of the genocidal military junta.

While the future of Myanmar is ultimately in the hands of the brave people of Myanmar, so many of whom have given their lives for the cause of freedom and democracy, and become symbols of hope, and heroes in the hearts of their fellow citizens, we deeply need the strong and continued support, friendship and recognition from the people, Parliamentarians, and Government of Australia, and its international alliance. Timely support and recognition by Australia is absolutely crucial in putting a quick end to this cruel military junta in Myanmar, and to building a new Myanmar – an inclusive federal democratic union for ALL the people of Myanmar, regardless of race, religion, culture, gender, background or ethnicity.

The 54 million people of Myanmar are facing brutal war crimes, ethnic cleansing, crimes against humanity and genocide at the hands of failed coup leader Min Aung Hlaing and his terroristic junta forces. Since February 1st, 2021, over 1,038 men, women and children have been murdered in cold blood, and over 7,660 innocent civilians have been illegally arrested without cause. More than 1,984 brave and innocent Myanmar people are being forced into hiding to evade illegal arrest warrants (according to the AAPP), and many of our democratically elected leader are facing show trials based on fraudulent and illegal charges. These trials have nothing to do with the rule of law or democracy, but instead serve as a tool with which the military junta seeks to prolong its self-serving reign-of-terror against the people of Myanmar. In addition, over 1.2 million innocent civilians have been forced to flee for their lives from their homes, villages, towns and cities that have come under attack by the genocidal military junta (according to UNHCR). The UNDP projects that over 27 million people in Myanmar will be forced below the poverty line within less than a year now, and UN-WFP projects that a further 6.4 million Myanmar people will be without food by the end of October, this year.

Covid-19 cases have spiraled out of control under the watch of the military junta, and hundreds of innocent people are dying each day as the Delta variant ravages our country. The people of Myanmar have lost all faith in the ability of the military junta do to anything successfully, especially when it comes to prevention and treatment of Covid-19. Over 260 medical facilities nationwide have been attacked, with several hospitals currently being illegally occupied by troops. Over 27 medical personnel have been murdered, and over 600 arrested by this cruel junta. Due to this, over half the population of Myanmar could become infected by Covid-19, and Myanmar is becoming a breeding ground not only for the Covid-19 delta variant, but for potentially new and stronger variants as well. This is a serious threat not only nationally or regionally, but globally.

Our economy is collapsing to the ground; our health care, finance, education and other basic services are paralyzed, and food insecurity is sharply rising. Violence and murder is rampant, and 

crimes against humanity have become widespread across the nation. This triple-crisis is pushing the whole nation into an extremely desperate situation. We are being pushed ever closer to a great civil bloodbath – a civil war – and another genocide. This can be prevented only by the international community’s urgent, strong and coordinated actions against this genocidal military regime in Myanmar.

Over 4 months have passed since ASEAN’s five-point consensus on Myanmar was reached, but as yet there are zero actions on the ground. The ASEAN Special Envoy has been appointed, and the eyes of the world rest on him; yet no swift actions have been made on the ground, and the military junta continues to use the ASEAN platform as their propaganda tool to prolong their acts of terrorism and their illegal reign-of-terror against the people of Myanmar. The 76^th UN General Assembly resolution on Myanmar was adopted more than two months ago; yet again with no results on the ground in Myanmar. The military junta shows zero respect for the International Community, our ASEAN brothers and sisters, or the people of Myanmar.

It is then absolutely unacceptable that children’s classrooms are being occupied by cruel soldiers, and that school children are instead being forced to flee for their lives. It is completely unacceptable that places of worship and community centers are being occupied by the junta forces, and that the communities, pastors, monks, and leaders are being forced to flee for their lives. It is not normal, nor is it acceptable under any circumstances that our hospitals, schools, colleges, universities, banks, and economy is crashing due to this military reign-of-terror. It is unacceptable in the highest degree that our teachers, tutors, professors, doctors, nurses, midwives, engineers, scholars and civil servants are being forced to flee for their lives because of their participation in the peaceful Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) to end the military junta’s usurpation of power from the people’s elected National Unity Government.

We are grateful everyday to our Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAO), People’s Defense Forces (PDF) and Civilian Defense Forces (CDF) who are laying down their lives in defense of their families, loved ones and neighbors from being murdered in cold blood, and defending their homes, villages, towns and cities from being completely wiped out by the terroristic junta forces and their bloodstained battlefield weapons; all of which obtained from China, Russia and other countries by using the stolen wealth of the people and country of Myanmar.

During the last six months, we have received hundreds of thousands of emails, 151,000 emails of which contain documented cases of crimes against humanity, and over 310,000 videos and photographs of atrocities. 427 strong cases are being open by international human rights lawyers on behalf of 28,005 victims who suffered crimes against humanity committed by the military junta forces. These are being named with case details and case notes, and will be prosecuted accordingly.

In addition, the citizens of Myanmar have initiated strong domestic sanctions against the junta through the peaceful Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM), general strikes and other acts of civil defiance. We are boycotting junta produced goods, and a large percentage of civil servants continue to refuse to support the junta’s work or supply chains. The sanctions that have been imposed thus far by the International Community have been a helpful start in showing a strong support for both our domestic efforts and the will of the people. However, greater help and support and recognition from the people, Parliament and Government of Australia and its allies from the international community is of critical and vital importance.

We urge the Government of Australia to engage with the National Unity Government of Myanmar as the sole legitimate representative of the people of Myanmar. We request the help of the people and Government of Australia in the upcoming credentialing challenges at the United Nations in 

September, and we critically need everything done that can be done in your power to ensure that the UNGA abides by its mandate to uphold the well-being of the people of Myanmar – the only way of which to accomplish this is to reject the genocidal and illegal military junta and accept the sole legitimate democratically elected Government of Myanmar – the National Unity Government – as the sole representative of the people and country of Myanmar. This is the first time in the history of Myanmar that there has been a National Unity Government with the full support of the people. This is the first time in our history that elected members of Parliament, Political Parties, Ethnic Leaders, Ethnic Armed Organizations, and grass roots Civil Society Organizations have come together as one united people to oppose the common enemy – this military dictatorship – and to deliver justice to our Rohingya brothers and sisters, and to all the victims across Myanmar. We have made our position clear that we will pursue freedom and justice for ALL, and we standby ready fully to cooperate with the ICJ and ICC to end impunity and hold all perpetrators accountable for their actions and crimes against humanity. The people of Myanmar recognize us as the sole legitimate government of Myanmar, and our hope is that you will also work with us as the sole legitimate government of Myanmar as well. We need the endorsement, recognition, acknowledgement and engagement from Australia and the free countries and leaders from around the world who believe in freedom, justice, and democracy. This is the greatest opportunity of the century. We must seize upon this window of opportunity to stop these horrendous crimes against humanity and put an end to this brutal military junta once and for all, and begin the building of an inclusive Federal Democratic Union of Myanmar for ALL the people of Myanmar.

We urgently need your help in addressing the growing humanitarian and political catastrophe and COVID-19 triple-crisis which is a direct result of the military junta’s acts of terrorism against the people of Myanmar. The National Unity Government knows how to get aid where it is most needed, and the most critically needed items are as follows: 1) COVID prevention, treatment and vaccines; 2) food; 3) medicines and medical supplies; 4) shelter; 5) and education (digital online/offline solutions).

Additionally, we, the people and Government of Myanmar, respectfully request the people and Government of Australia to impose harsh sanctions against all members of the illegal military council (SAC), the so-called military appointed “caretaker government”, military owned and linked businesses, and cronies who serve as brokers or pathways for the illegal military junta to obtain funding which it utilizes to destroy the people of Myanmar. The United States, United Kingdom, European Union, Canada and others have stood with the people of Myanmar in imposing sanctions against these individuals and entities, and it is our sincere request that Australia will also do the same, and ban all dealings with these criminals. Australia plays a key role in this situation as Australia is the key to Asia – Australasia – and it is therefore crucial that Australia step up to the occasion and do everything in its power to help put an end to the senseless murder of thousands of innocent people on it’s very doorstep. We are respectfully requesting that the Government of Australia and its alliance to ensure that no funds from any entity under the control of Australia, whether public or private, be allowed to continue to be transferred to the Junta, its business entities, leaders, or their families. The largest source of revenue to the junta, the oil and gas sector, remains largely unscathed by the international community. Coordinated and targeted sanctions and legislation from the Australia Parliament would make a clear legal obligation for companies to stop the flow of this revenue to the junta, and the sanctioning of individuals from the military junta and their cronies who are responsible for crimes against humanity are vitally important. We must not continue to allow this illegal junta to spend the wealth of the people of Myanmar in murdering the people of Myanmar. Therefore, the Government of Australia and the International Community must continue to place sanctions against the junta leaders and their main income stream – Myanmar Oil and Gas, and all state-owned enterprises, including the transfer of dual use technology, and impose an international arms embargo and a strict no-fly-zone above the territory of Myanmar by 

any means necessary. These measures are absolutely vital to prevent a great civil war and another genocide from occurring in Myanmar.

We also express our deepest sympathy and regrets for what Australian national Professor Sean Turnell has been put through illegally by the merciless junta. He is a great hero of the people of Myanmar, and is highly regarded in all quarters. We are extremely sorry for the situation he is in under the hands of the brutal junta, and we pray for his well being and demand his unconditional and immediate release. The false charges against him have nothing to do with rule of law but have everything to do with the prolonging of the military junta’s reign-of-terror against our freedom, values and democracy. The people of Myanmar stand in solidarity with Professor Sean Turnell and his family, and we hope that the Government of Australia will also demand his immediate and unconditional release and repatriation, and offer severe consequences to the junta for any delays or non-compliance.

When the 54 million people of Myanmar have received your support and recognition, we, the frontline defenders of freedom, liberty and democracy in Myanmar will be able to put an end to this genocidal military dictatorship which has become a cancer to the nation and to the world, and to replace it with an ethical and inclusive armed force that belongs to and is comprised of the people of Myanmar, and is placed under civilian governance and control. Together we will begin to build a new Myanmar and an inclusive Federal Democratic Union for ALL the people of Myanmar regardless of race, religion, gender, culture, ethnicity or background, and where all human rights are equally respected, protected and promoted. Myanmar will become a country where power and resource sharing will be based on the principles of equality and self-determination, and where the three branches of government – Parliament, Judiciary and Executive – will function independently; we will become a country where the rights of all will be protected and respected by the new federal democratic constitution of Myanmar. This will be brought about in an inclusive manner, and only with the consensus of ALL of our people and communities. A constitutional convention and referendum will be held on the permanent draft constitution which will belong to the people of Myanmar for all generations to come. We will win in our struggle to liberate Myanmar from the brutal military junta, and the Federal Democratic Union of Myanmar will soon become a powerful reality, and will bear testimony to our strong friendship and unyielding gratefulness with the people and Government of Australia. We will emerge as an inclusive new Myanmar that is committed to federal democracy, human rights, and to being a responsible partner in the global alliance for liberty, freedom, peace, prosperity and stability around the world.

Sincerely,

H.E. Dr. Sasa
Union Minister of Ministry of International Cooperation
Spoke Person of Nation Unity Government
Former Special Envoy to United Nations