Free Myanmar Newsletter
Vol:1, Issue 5: Sept 5, 2021
President JFK once said, “Those who make peaceful revolution impossible make violent revolution inevitable”. Now that the Burmese Spring Revolution has drawn out into eight months, with rapidly deteriorating conditions on the ground due to both economic and COVID hardships, it seems that a violent ending of State Administration Council (SAC) may be inevitable. If so, all the blames go to SAC who offered no other alternatives to the parties involved. Being an advocacy group, Free Myanmar (FM) is not a proponent of an armed struggle but can’t help acknowledge the fear, frustration, anger and hardship including lives lost by Myanmar citizens that pushed civilians into resorting to an armed revolution. For example, knowing how SAC tortures its detainees, recently a few youths jumped out of a six-story building to avoid from being captured alive where all were killed on impact. Many Myanmar citizens are now forming People Defense Forces (PDF) for self-defense with any available weapons. Clashes between PDF and military troops have now become quite frequent. Inevitably, there have been a lot of casualties.
Furthermore, as predicted, Burma has been ravaged by the third wave of COVID-19 pandemic during the past 4-6 weeks. The highly contagious delta variant of COVID-19 originated in neighboring India and as the national vaccination program fell apart due to the coup, Myanmar people were immensely vulnerable without a herd immunity. Then healthcare infrastructure and facilities collapsed during the months following the coup as many healthcare workers (HCWs) joined CDM in protest of the junta. Yet the junta made the situation far worse when actual COVID struck. It harassed and interrupted oxygen manufacturing facilities. It confiscated essential medical supplies, hoarding those only at Military run facilities. When CDM doctors and HCWs tried to set up private and charity COVID clinics and treatment centers, the military arrested them. In a sense the junta used COVID-19 as a bioweapon against its own citizens. As expected, many perished. Everyone in FM has lost at least one relative from COVID during the past few weeks. Many lost more.
Extremely concerned, FM initiated an urgent appeal to many government and UN agencies, urging them step up relief efforts and to be more engaged in humanitarian assistance. This letter was endorsed by 27 overseas Myanmar professional organizations spanning four continents. FM board members went on airwaves to elevate the awareness of the health crisis taking place in Burma. VOA made three video segments covering that topic while interviewing FM and other public health experts. In addition, FM sent a similar urgent appeal to United State leadership. FM engaged with WHO’s regional office in Myanmar and in collaboration with them started capacity building of HCWs in Kalay, Chin State. FM rallied overseas Myanmar volunteer physicians in forming PEER (Practice-focused MEdical Education for MyanmaR) program that conducted a series of Zoom lectures and interactive workshops for Myanmar HCWs. It was very well received and currently PEER is running three parallel training series again, educating approximately 500 Myanmar HCWs from various sectors including many CDM doctors. This program will expand to train more doctors in a recurring nature. FM also informally consulted and engaged with the Border Consortium to better understand the obstacles and logistics of relief aid delivery and COVID vaccine availability in border areas of Burma. Likewise, we have had discussion with some members of NUG’s COVID vaccine taskforce to try and understand how FM can be of assistance. Hopefully, vaccines promised by COVAX and GAVI will be delivered to Myanmar soon.
US Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Congressman Gregory Meeks (D-NY), have been working on a bill (Burma Bill) to enact tougher sanctions on the Myanmar military and for the USA to increase its humanitarian support. The bill is expected to be brought to floor when congress reconvene following its summer recess. FM is helping the grassroot signature drive movement by asking those who have an interest in Myanmar to write to their local congressmen urging that they support and co-sponsor the bill. On 7 August 2021, “Save Myanmar March” took place in Washington DC where thousands of protesters from all across USA converged. Members of Free Myanmar joined many other activist groups in this historic march while delivering its statement at Lafayette Square next to the White House. As in any revolution, the situation in Myanmar is extremely fluid and FM had to adapt itself by filling in strategic gaps while abiding to non-violent principles. Cognizant of its own limitations, FM has evolved into prioritizing three main strategic objectives. The first is stopping money flow to the military regimen through advocacy and engagement of the right stake holders for quick, decisive, broad and yet targeted sanctions. The second is supporting National Unity Government (NUG) in achieving international recognition and collaboration. The third is engaging in humanitarian support and capacity building for Myanmar people.
Recently Ministry of Planning, Finance and Investment (MOPFI) launched its “Victorious Spring Lottery”. It was a huge success driving the SAC into panic mode trying to shut down the whole mobile payment and banking system in the country. FM supports and applauds this legitimate action taken by the NUG’s MOPFI. While NUG is raising sustainable funds using innovative platforms such as the Spring Lottery, FM continues to press on with its work on economic sanctions in stopping money flow to SAC and its cronies. On 2nd September, the UK government announced a new round of sanctions against Mr. Tay Za and his business empire Htoo Group of Companies. FM will continue to push for sanctions against other similar cronies and key sources of income to SAC such as MOGE (Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise). FM feels that for the Spring Revolution in Myanmar to succeed, political pressure through the international community is equally as important as the efforts of courageous Myanmar citizens defying the junta through street protests, civil disobedience movement and self-deployed defense forces in various towns. The NUG of Myanmar urgently needs international recognition and support. The continuation of the permanent representative of Myanmar to the UN, Ambassador U Kyaw Moe Tun, will have an indirect impact towards NUG’s legitimacy. It is of paramount importance that this seat is retained, a cause that FM is involved in. FM feels that at this stage, NUG being seen as the entity representing the people of Myanmar and working with overseas governments is both an acceptable and achievable result to strive for.
FM’s website is currently being revised adding an activity page and a donation button linked to PayPal. Hopefully, we will be able to release this new updated version of our website before the end of September. Please visit our website at https://www.freemyanmar.net/ . FM also runs its own Twitter account and a Face Book page. For confidential and operational reasons, some ongoing FM activities and projects may not be fully disclosed until a later time. For those who want to donate, a check may be mailed to Free Myanmar Inc, PO Box 161685, Austin, TX 78716. Please make payable to Free Myanmar Inc. Donations will be recognized but are not tax deductible. FM would not have accomplished this much so far without the devotion and support of its donors and volunteers who sacrifice hours of their personal time. In solidarity, FM thanks all of such individuals and organizations.
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