Dear respected members of the Parliament, people and Government of New Zealand, thank you so much for giving me this great opportunity to represent my people and the country of Myanmar, which 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 against the 54 million people of Myanmar.
This is truly the darkest period in our history, and the people of Myanmar are facing the brunt of the 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 New Zealand, and its international alliance. Your support and recognition are absolutely crucial in ending this cruel military junta in Myanmar as soon as possible, and building a new Myanmar into an inclusive federal democratic union for ALL the people of Myanmar, regardless of race, religion, culture, gender, background or ethnicity.
Under the hands of the failed coup leader, Min Aung Hlaing, and his genocidal military junta forces, the 54 million people of Myanmar are facing once again brutal crimes against humanity, war crimes and ethnic cleansing. Since the 1st of February, 2021 when the failed coup was initiated, the genocidal military regime’s junta forces have killed 1,026 women, men and children in cold blood, and 7,627 innocent people have been arrested illegally, and without cause. Additionally, 1,984 innocent Myanmar people are evading illegal arrest warrants (according to the AAPP). Many of our democratically elected leaders are facing show trials with fraudulent charges which have nothing to do with the rule of law, but instead has everything to do with the destruction of our democracy and freedom, and the prolonging of the military junta’s reign-of-terror against the people of Myanmar. Due to these genocidal military generals and their acts of terrorism against the innocent people of Myanmar, over 1.2 million civilians have been forced to flee for their lives from their homes, villages, towns and cities which have come under attack by the genocidal military junta forces. This rogue and cruel regime is guilty of crimes against humanity, war crimes, and ethnic cleansing. (UNCHR: 1.2 million IDPs, Refugees from Myanmar). Over 27 million people of Myanmar are projected to be living in extreme poverty within a year. (Half the population of Myanmar will live under the poverty line within a year – UNDP), and over 6.4 million people in Myanmar are projected to have no food by the end of October this year (UN – WFP).
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.
Covid-19 cases remain unchecked, under reported and out of control under the watch of the military junta, and hundreds of Myanmar people are dying each day. The people of Myanmar have profound and grounded mistrust in the military junta’s ability to handle this outbreak, or provide care of proper vaccine rollout. The main obstacle to COVID vaccination rollout programs across the
country is due to more than 260 attacks on medical facilities, with several hospitals occupied by troops, and over 27 medical personal have been killed, with over 600 medical personal being arrested by this genocidal military junta. Due to this, over half the population of Myanmar could become infected by this virus, and Myanmar is becoming another breeding ground not only for the Covid-19 delta variant, but also for potentially new and stronger variants. This is a serious threat not only regionally, but globally.
Our economy is collapsing to the ground; our health care, education and other basic services are paralyzed, and food insecurity is sharply rising. The violence and killing, crimes against humanity against the people of Myanmar continue and are becoming more and more widespread across the nation. This triple-crisis is pushing the whole nation into extremely desperate situations which are pushing us ever closer to a great civil bloodbath – civil war – and another genocide. This can be prevented only by the international community’s strong and coordinated actions against this genocidal military regime in Myanmar.
More than four months have passed since the ASEAN five-point consensus on Myanmar was reached, but as yet there are no actions on the ground. The ASEAN Special Envoy has been appointed, and the eyes of the world rested on him, but 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 reign-of-terror against the people of Myanmar. The 76th UN General Assembly resolution on Myanmar was adopted more than two months ago, again with no results on the ground in Myanmar. The military junta in Myanmar keeps showing zero respect for the International Community, our ASEAN brothers and sisters, and the people of Myanmar.
It is absolutely unacceptable that children’s classrooms are being occupied by brutish soldiers, and that the school children are 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. These brave people have shown that the CDM movement is more powerful than all the military junta’s acts of terrorism against the people of Myanmar.
Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAO), People’s Defense Forces (PDF) and Civilian Defense Forces (CDF) are laying down their lives every day 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 these genocidal military junta forces and their bloodstained battlefield weapons obtained from China, Russia and other countries by using the stolen wealth of the people and country of Myanmar.
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 are refusing to support the junta’s work. 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 New Zealand and its allies from the international community is of critical and urgent importance.
We urge you to engage with the National Unity Government of Myanmar as the sole legitimate representative of the people of Myanmar. We need your help in the upcoming credentialing challenges at the UN in September, and we sincerely request you to help us with everything in your power to ensure that the UNGA abides by its mandate to uphold the well-being of the people of Myanmar; and the only way to accomplish this is to reject the genocidal and illegal military junta and accept the sole legitimate 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 make our position clear that we will pursue freedom and justice for ALL, and we standby ready to fully 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, 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 New Zealand 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 the crimes against humanity and put an end to this brutal military junta reign-of-terror 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 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. We need critical aid for the following: 1) COVID prevention, treatment and vaccines; 2) food; 3) medicines and medical supplies; 4) shelter; 5) and education (digital online/offline solutions).
Additionally, please help us put more financial pressure on the junta. It is critical for the nations of the world who stand with us to come together in a coordinated campaign and coalition for further sanctions that will cut the flow of revenue and weapons to this murderous military regime. We are respectfully requesting that the Government of the New Zealand and its alliance to ensure that no funds from any entity under the control of New Zealand (and its alliance), 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 New Zealand 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 as well. 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 New Zealand and the International Community must continue to place sanctions against the junta leaders and their main income generator 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 whatever means necessary. These measures are critically vital to prevent a great civil war and another genocide in Myanmar.
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 the people of Myanmar, 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 above in an inclusive manner, and only with the consensus of ALL of our people. 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 New Zealand. 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
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