UUSC calls upon Burma (known by its current government as Myanmar) to end its violent repression of the current protests, and to move towards democratic rule. We also call upon the international community to take swift and decisive action to compel Burma to take these steps.

As in Darfur, we urge China, the key advisor and ally to the Burmese military dictatorship, to use its influence to end this human catastrophe. Neighboring nations such as India and Thailand should exert economic and political pressure on the Burmese dictatorship. And we further call upon those multinational corporations involved in the country to use their leverage with the regime to force it to end the violence.

Burma’s thuggish military dictatorship has brutalized and repressed the citizens of that country for decades while waging civil war against insurgencies led by ethnic minority groups. In 1988, the military overturned results of the free elections, killing thousands of Burmese who protested and forcing thousands more into exile.
Since then, the military government has effectively denied all civil liberties and basic freedoms, crushing a succession of pro-democracy movements.

The military’s war against the ethnic insurgent armies remains one of the world’s forgotten emergencies. In conflict areas, the Burmese military has forcibly displaced at least one million civilians, compelling many of them into slavery. It has also committed massacres and systematically used rape as a weapon of war.

While the current wave of protests, the largest since 1988, was instigated by dramatic increases in the price of gasoline, it is clear that the response of people across Burma, and notably of the Buddhist sangha, reflects their broader struggle for freedom and human rights.

Ka Hsaw Wa, executive director of EarthRights International, a UUSC ally, issued a statement condemning this latest instance of brutal repression: “As someone who experienced this regime’s brutality in 1988, I am glad that this time around, the world is watching. But that is not enough. The international community, including multinational corporations, must act now to prevent further bloodshed in Burma. The people have suffered profoundly for too long—they have already sacrificed so much, and they will not stop.”

It is time for a change in Burma. It is time for the dictatorship in that country to step aside and allow for legitimate leadership, such as that provided by the Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. It is time for the dictatorship to end the repression and release all political prisoners.

UUSC calls upon all those who care for human rights to stand in solidarity with the people of Burma, take action, and remain attentive to the situation there. Our outrage at the violence should be channeled towards helping the people of Burma achieve a democratic future.

Organizations working on human rights in Burma are proposing a series of actions and alerting people to demonstrations on their websites; U.S Campaign for Burma; EarthRights International; and the Free Burma Coalition. UUSC encourages all our members and supporters to play an active role in these efforts.