We, the undersigned organizations, call on the United Nations Security Council to urgently impose a comprehensive global arms embargo on Myanmar to help prevent further violations of human rights against peaceful protesters and others opposing military rule. In recent weeks, Myanmar security forces have killed hundreds of people, including dozens of children, merely for exercising their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.

Since the February 1, 2021 coup, Myanmar’s military junta has responded with increasing brutality to nationwide protests calling for the restoration of democratic civilian rule. As of May 4, security forces have killed at least 769 people, including 51 children as young as 6, and arbitrarily detained several thousand activists, journalists, civil servants, and politicians. Hundreds have been forcibly disappeared, the authorities unwilling to provide information on their wellbeing or where they are being held. Over the past few months, the military has demonstrated a callous disregard for human life that has driven its strategy for decades. In video footage from cities and towns across the country, soldiers can be seen shooting down protesters, including children, brutally beating medical aid workers, and firing shotguns into crowds of peacefully protesting doctors.

In addition to the latest violations of human rights, Myanmar’s security forces have a history of grave abuses against peaceful critics of the government and military, and war crimes and other international crimes against the Rohingya and other ethnic minority groups. Of particular note is the military’s widely documented use of sexual and gender-based violence as a weapon against ethnic communities.

No government should sell a single bullet to the junta under these circumstances. Imposing a global arms embargo on Myanmar is the minimum necessary step the Security Council should take in response to the military’s escalating violence. Arms and materiel provided to Myanmar’s security forces are likely to be used by the security forces to commit abuses in violation of international human rights and humanitarian law.

For this reason, the undersigned organizations urge the United Kingdom, the Security Council’s “penholder” on Myanmar, and other Security Council member states to begin negotiations on a resolution authorizing an arms embargo as soon as possible. This will demonstrate to the junta that there will be no more business as usual.

Security Council members have increasingly spoken with one voice on Myanmar. The Council has called for the immediate release of Aung San Suu Kyi and others arbitrarily detained, including civilian leaders. It has condemned the military’s crackdown on peaceful protesters and called for an end to the ongoing violence. But unity is not an end in itself. The Council should now build on that unity and negotiate a resolution that would include an arms embargo and other substantive measures.

A comprehensive UN arms embargo on Myanmar should bar the direct and indirect supply, sale, or transfer of all weapons, munitions, and other military-related equipment, including dual-use goods such as vehicles and communications and surveillance equipment, as well as the provision of training, intelligence, and other military assistance. Such an embargo should be accompanied by robust monitoring and enforcement mechanisms.

We note with disappointment the failure of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ (ASEAN) April 24, 2021 summit to take more robust action to protect Myanmar’s people. Less than a day after the summit’s conclusions were published, the military’s violence continued, which only highlights the need for UN member countries and the Security Council to take decisive action to pressure the junta to reverse course.

The time for statements has passed. The Security Council should take its consensus on Myanmar to a new level and agree on immediate and substantive action. An arms embargo would be the centerpiece of a global effort to protect the people of Myanmar from further atrocities and help bring an end to impunity for crimes under international law.

Myanmar’s people cannot afford to wait any longer for the Security Council to take action.

Signatories

1. ACAT-France
2. Access Now
3. Act Church of Sweden
4. Action Committee for Democracy Development
5. Action on Armed Violence (AOAV)
6. Africa Centre for Security, Governance and Research
7. African Council of Religious Leaders-Religions for Peace
8. Alliance for Democracy in Laos
9. ALTSEAN Burma
10. Amnesty International
11. Arakan Institute for Peace and Development (AiPAD)
12. Arakan Rohingya National Organization
13. ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights
14. Asia Democracy Network
15. Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA)
16. Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP)
17. Association for Public Policy – APP (Argentina)
18. Association INFO BIRMANIE (Info Burma)
19. AVAAZ
20. Baptist Union of Denmark
21. Burma Campaign UK
22. Burma Human Rights Network
23. Burma Task Force
24. Burmese Rohingya Organization UK
25. Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies
26. Calgary Karen Community (CKCA)
27. California Shan Society
28. Cameroon Youths and Students Forum for Peace
29. Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT)
30. Canadian Burmese Rohingya Organization
31. Canadian Rohingya Development Initiative
32. Center for Justice and Accountability
33. Center for Peace Education – Miriam College
34. Center for Victims of Torture
35. Centre Delas for Peace Studies
36. Centro de Estudios Ecuménicos, A.C. – México
37. Chin Human Rights Organization
38. Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW)
39. CIVICUS
40. Civil Rights Defenders
41. Committee of 100 in Finland
42. Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI)
43. Community Empowerment for Progress Organization
44. Control Arms
45. Cordaid
46. Dallas Ft. Worth Karen Community
47. Dallas Karen Baptist Church, TX
48. Danish United Nations Association
49. Danmission
50. DEEKU, the Karenni Community, USA
51. EarthRights International
52. Edmonton Karen Community Youth Organization
53. Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights
54. FOMICRES, Mozambique
55. Fortify Rights
56. Forum on Disarmament and Development (FDD)
57. FundiPau (Fundacio per la Pau)
58. Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect
59. Global Justice Center
60. Global Movement for Myanmar Democracy (GM4MD)
61. Global Network of Women Peacebuilders
62. Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict
63. Global Witness
64. Good Neighbors
65. Hawai’i Institute for Human Rights
66. HelpAge International
67. Human Rights Foundation of Monland (Thailand)
68. Human Rights Information and Training Center
69. Human Rights Watch
70. Institute for Asian Democracy
71. Institute for Justice and Reconciliation
72. Institute for Statelessness and Inclusion
73. International Campaign for the Rohingya
74. International Center for Not-for-Profit Law
75. International Commission of Jurists
76. International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH)
77. International Human Rights Clinic, Harvard Law School
78. International Karen Organization, Australia
79. International Service for Human Rights
80. International State Crime Initiative
81. International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs
82. Ipas (Myanmar)
83. Jewish Rohingya Justice Network
84. Kachin Community UK
85. Kachin National Organization USA
86. Kachin Women Action Thailand
87. Kachin Women’s Association of Thailand (KWAT)
88. Kansas Karenni Community, KS
89. Karen Youth Education Pathways USA
90. Karen American Association of Wisconsin
91. Karen Association of Huron, SD
92. Karen Community of Akron, OH
93. Karen Community of Canada (KCC)
94. Karen Community of Czech Republic
95. Karen Community of Finland
96. Karen Community of Hamilton
97. Karen Community of Iowa, IA
98. Karen Community of Ireland
99. Karen Community of Israel
100. Karen Community of Kansas City, KS & MO
101. Karen Community of Kitchener & Waterloo
102. Karen Community of Leamington
103. Karen Community of Lethbridge
104. Karen Community of London
105. Karen Community of Minnesota, MN
106. Karen Community of North Carolina
107. Karen Community of Ottawa
108. Karen Community of Regina
109. Karen Community of Rochester
110. Karen Community of Rock Island, IL
111. Karen Community of Saskatoon
112. Karen Community of Syracuse, NY
113. Karen Community of Thunderbay
114. Karen Community of Toronto
115. Karen Community of Windsor
116. Karen Community of Winnipeg
117. Karen Community Society of British Columbia
118. Karen Organization of America
119. Karen Thai Group
120. Karen Youth Networks
121. Karen Youth of Norway
122. Karen Youth of Toronto
123. Karen Youth Organization, Thailand
124. Karenni American Association, USA
125. Karenni Community of Bowling Green, KY
126. Karenni Community of Des Moines, IA
127. Karenni Community of Georgia, GA
128. Karenni Community of Indianapolis, IN
129. Karenni Community of Massachusetts, MA
130. Karenni Community of Minnesota, MN
131. Karenni Community of Missouri, MO
132. Karenni Community of New York, NY
133. Karenni Community of North Carolina, NC
134. Karenni Community of Portland, OR
135. Karenni Community of Texas
136. Karenni Community of Wisconsin, WI
137. Karenni National Women’s Organization
138. Karenni Society of Minnesota North East
139. Karenni-American Catholic Association
140. Kenya Section of the International Commission of Jurists
141. Khmers Kampuchea-Kron Federation (KKF)
142. KontraS
143. Korea Karen Organization
144. Korea Karen Youth Organization
145. Latin American and Caribbean Human Security Network (SEHLAC)
146. L’chaim! Jews Against The Death Penalty
147. Liberia Action Network on Small Arms
148. MADRE
149. Mechanism of Search for Peace and Development Initiative
150. Mennonite Central Committee United Nations Office
151. Mensen met een Missie
152. Myanmar Trust UK
153. Nadia’s Initiative
154. Nepal Peacebuilding Initiative
155. Never Again Coalition
156. No Business With Genocide
157. Nonviolence International
158. Oversea Karen Organization Japan
159. Pa-O Youth Organization (PYO)
160. Parliamentarians for Global Action
161. PAX
162. Pax Christi International
163. Pax Christi Philippines
164. PEN Myanmar
165. People’s Federation for National Peace and Development
166. People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy (PSPD)
167. Progressive Voice
168. Reconstructing Judaism
169. Refugees International
170. Relief Action Network for IDP and Refugee (RANIR)
171. RFK Human Rights
172. Rights for Peace
173. Rohingya American Society
174. Rohingya Intellectuals Community Association, Australia
175. Rohingya Organization Norway
176. Rohingya Women Welfare Association
177. Rohingya Youth Association
178. Saferworld Europe
179. South East Asia Movement for Human Rights & Justice
180. Southern African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes
181. Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa
182. Sustainable Peace and Development Organization
183. Swedish Burma Committee
184. Swedish Peace and Arbitration Society
185. The Arakan Project, Myanmar
186. The Kachin Relief Fund
187. The Shalom Center
188. The Zambian Network for Human Rights Defenders
189. TRANSCEND Pilipinas
190. Unitarian Universalist Association
191. United Nations Association – UK
192. United Nations Association of Sweden
193. US Campaign for Burma
194. Vision GRAM-International
195. Waging Peace
196. West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP)
197. Women for Peace and Democracy Nepal
198. Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom
199. Women’s International Peace Centre
200. Women’s Peace Network
201. Women’s Refugee Commission
202. World Council of Churches
203. World Federalist Movement/Institute for Global Peace
204. Wunpawng Ninghtoi (WPN)
205. Yanshuf Coalition, Israel

Download PDF.