RE: ASEAN members and their dialogue partners are urged to end Burma/Myanmar military’s access to jet fuel and weapons ahead of ASEAN summit

Your excellencies,

We, the undersigned 149 organizations, are writing to urge prompt, coordinated actions of governments of ASEAN and ASEAN dialogue partners to bring an end to the ongoing atrocities perpetrated daily by the Burmese military.

It has been more than two years since the illegal military coup deposed Burma’s democratically-elected leaders. In that time, ASEAN and its partner governments, including the EU, US, Japan, South Korea and Australia, have failed to take sufficient actions to hold the military to account, implement the “Five Point Consensus,” and end the violence.

From September 5-7, your government will participate in the ASEAN Summit in Jakarta. We urge you to work with all government representatives present at the Summit to deliver the following:

1. A joint call from ASEAN and ASEAN dialogue partners calling for the United Nations Security Council to demonstrate their support of ASEAN, the Five-Point Consensus, and the people of Burma by keeping the situation in Burma on the agenda and introducing resolution that calls for regular meetings and an arms embargo, including a ban on aviation fuel.

2. A joint release from ASEAN governments announcing: a commitment to preventing the junta from procuring aviation fuel. This includes:

• Classifying aviation fuel as a “dual-use technology” under applicable local laws;
• Banning the shipment or transshipment of aviation fuel through ports in ASEAN member states;
• Banning companies located in ASEAN member-states from selling or transporting aviation fuel to any entity in Myanmar; and
• Banning the provision of financial services, such as maritime shipping insurance, to companies or vessels transporting aviation fuel to Burma.

3. A joint commitment from ASEAN members to further restrict the military junta’s access to funding and the international banking system. U.S. sanctions on the Myanmar Foreign Trade Bank have given ASEAN members legal cover to prevent their banks from transmitting money to the junta. ASEAN members should work with their domestic monetary authorities to ensure that domiciled banks are not making or processing payments to the junta and its affiliated entities.

The junta is using aerial attacks to target civilian-populated areas, including IDPs hiding places, and initiate conflict with local ethnic groups. In the first four months of 2023, there were 442 airstrikes. This nearly eclipses the total number of airstrikes conducted in all of 2022, which was 449.

On July 27, two schools in Karenni State were damaged due to airstrikes, with many villagers emphasizing the intentionality behind the attacks: “When they [the military] can’t establish the educational and administrative systems they want, they resort to attacking schools, hindering Karenni children from learning.” Children from Karen state have been forced to seek refuge in the seven refugee camps that line the Thai-Burma border after military attacks increased the number of school-aged refugees from 16,000 to 21,000 in just one year.

In Kachin state, military planes drop bombs in villages, killing civilians. Civilians in Shan state were killed after the military bombed villages believed to be hiding local soldiers, an accusation later disproved. In late July, over 3,000 civilians were forcibly displaced from central Burma’s Sagaing region over the span of five days of military fighting.

As the civilian death toll rises and the number of refugees and internally displaced peoples increases, it is impossible to deny that access to jet fuel is critical to support the military’s campaign of violence.

Yet governments have failed to act and companies continue to facilitate the military’s access to jet fuel. In November 2022, Amnesty International’s report, Deadly Cargo, linked jet fuel access to increasing human rights abuses; but only months later, Global Witness and Amnesty International revealed the names of several companies, including, but not limited to, Thai, Indian, and Japanese, that were still engaging in the shipment of jet fuel to the Burmese junta in March 2023. The engagement of these companies makes them complicit in the human rights abuses committed by the Burmese junta via aerial attacks throughout the country.

The United States and United Kingdom have both placed sanctions on Burmese and Singaporean entities accused of facilitating the trade in aviation fuel, while the U.S. has issued a regulatory determination threatening further sanctions against companies involved in the sale of aviation fuel into Burma. We strongly encourage ASEAN member-states to support these sanctions and work with international partners to end the trade of aviation fuel in Burma.

ASEAN, the UN, and other governments have failed the people of Burma for far too long. The country is in desperate need of support beyond arbitrary condemnations. We urge you to stand on the right side of history and act with urgency to hold the military accountable for its crimes and bring Burma the peace and justice the people of Burma deserve.

Sincerely,

Signed by:

1. Ah Nah Podcast – Conversations with Myanmar, Ireland
2. ALTSEAN-Burma, Thailand
3. American Baptist Churches, KS, USA
4. American Baptist Churches, OH, USA
5. Arizona Kachin Community, AZ, USA
6. Australian Karen Organisation Inc
7. Bangladesh Rohingya Student Union (BRSU)
8. Better Burma, CA, USA
9. Burma Action Ireland
10. Burma Advocacy Group, USA
11. Burma Campaign UK
12. Burma Canadian Association of Ontario
13. Burma Task Force, IL, USA
14. Burmese American Community Institute, IN, USA
15. Burmese Women’s Union (BWU), Thailand
16. California Kachin Community, CA, USA
17. Calvary Burmese Church, Washington, DC
18. Campaign for a New Myanmar, Washington, DC, USA
19. Chin Association of Maryland, Inc. MD, USA
20. Chin Baptist Association, MD, USA
21. Community Rebuilding Centre, Bangladesh
22. Coordination Team for Emergency Relief (Karenni), Burma
23. Crane Center for Prevention of Mass Atrocities, CA, USA
24. CRPH Funding Ireland
25. Dallas Kachin Community, TX, USA
26. DEEKU-Karenni Community of Amarillo, TX, USA
27. Det Norsk Baptistsamfunn, Norway
28. DFW Kachin Baptist Church, TX
29. EarthRights International, Washington, DC, USA
30. European Karen Network, Norway
31. Florida Kachin Community, FL, USA
32. Free Burma Campaign South Africa
33. Georgia Kachin Community, GA, USA
34. Give A Helping Hand, Norway
35. Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect, NY, USA
36. Houston Kachin Community, TX, USA
37. Human Rights Foundation of Monland, Burma
38. Humanity Institute, Burma
39. Institute for Asian Democracy, Washington, DC. USA
40. International Campaign for the Rohingya, Washington, DC, USA
41. International Karen Organization, PA, USA
42. Iowa Kachin Community, IA, USA
43. Jewish World Watch, CA, USA
44. Justice For All, Washington, DC. USA
45. K’Nyaw Baptist Church, MN
46. Kachin American Community (Portland – Vancouver)
47. Kachin Baptist Churches, MD, USA
48. Kachin Community of Indiana, IN, USA
49. Kachin Community of USA
50. Kachin Contextual Analysis Team, Burma
51. Kachin refugee committee, Malaysia
52. Kachin Women’s Association Thailand
53. Kansas Karenni community, KS, USA
54. Karen American Association of Wisconsin, WI, USA
55. Karen Association of Huron, SD, USA
56. Karen Baptist Church, CO
57. Karen Community of Canada
58. Karen Community in Norway
59. Karen Community of Akron, OH, USA
60. Karen Community of Georgia, GA, USA
61. Karen Community of Greensboro, NC, USA
62. Karen Community of Iowa, IA, USA
63. Karen Community of Kansas City, KS & MO, USA
64. Karen Community of Minnesota, MN, USA
65. Karen Human Rights Group, Burma
66. Karen Organization of Illinois, IL, USA
67. Karen Peace Support Network, Thailand
68. Karen Women’s Organization (KWO), Thailand
69. Karen Youth Education Pathways, Washington, DC, USA
70. Karen Youth Network, Burma
71. Karenni Community of Arizona, AZ, USA
72. Karenni Community of Arkensas, AK, USA
73. Karenni Community of Austin, TX, USA
74. Karenni Community of Bowling Green, KY, USA
75. Karenni Community of Buffalo, NY, USA
76. Karenni Community of Chicago, IL, USA
77. Karenni Community of Colorado, CO, USA
78. Karenni Community of Dallas, TX, USA
79. Karenni Community of Des Moines, IA, USA
80. Karenni Community of Florida, FL, USA
81. Karenni Community of Fort Worth, TX, USA
82. Karenni Community of Georgia, GA, USA
83. Karenni Community of Houston, TX, USA
84. Karenni Community of Idaho, ID, USA
85. Karenni Community of Indianapolis, IN, USA
86. Karenni Community of Massachusetts, MA, USA
87. Karenni Community of Michigan, MI, USA
88. Karenni community of Minnesota, MN, USA
89. Karenni Community of Missouri, MO, USA
90. Karenni Community of North Carolina, NC, USA
91. Karenni Community of Portland, OR, USA
92. Karenni Community of Rockford, IL, USA
93. Karenni Community of San Antonio, TX, USA
94. Karenni Community of Sioux Falls, SD, USA
95. Karenni Community of Utah, UT, USA
96. Karenni Community of Utica, NY, USA
97. Karenni Community of Washington, WA, USA
98. Karenni Community of Wisconsin, WI, USA
99. Karenni Human Rights Group, Burma
100. Karenni National Women’s Organization (KNWO), Thailand
101. Karenni Society of Omaha, NE, USA
102. Karenni-American Association, USA, USA
103. Kayan Women’s Organization (KyWO), Burma
104. Kentucky Kachin Community, KY, USA
105. Kuki Women’s Human Rights Organization (KWHRO), Burma
106. L’chaim! Jews Against the Death Penalty
107. Lahu Women’s Organization (LWO)
108. Louisiana Kachin Community, LA, USA
109. Maryland Kachin Community, MD, USA
110. Michigan Kachin Community, MI, USA
111. Milwaukee Myanmar Christian Church, WI, USA
112. Mingalarama Wiharra Monastery, MD, USA
113. Minnesota Kachin Community, MN, USA
114. Myanmar Campaign Network, Australia
115. Myanmar Christian Church of Metro Chicago, IL, USA
116. Never Again Coalition, OR, USA
117. New York Kachin Community, NY, USA
118. No Business With Genocide, Washington, DC, USA
119. North Carolina Kachin Community, NA, USA
120. NUG and CRPH Supporters Ireland
121. Omaha Kachin Community, NE, USA
122. Overseas Burmese Christian Fellowship, MA
123. Pa-O Women’s Union (PWU), Burma
124. Peace and Justice Committee, KY, USA
125. Pennsylvania Kachin Community, PA, USA
126. Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association
127. Rohingya Action Ireland
128. Rohingya Students Network, Bangladesh
129. Shan Women’s Action Network (SWAN), Thailand
130. South Carolina Kachin Community, SC, USA
131. Ta’ang Women’s Organization (TWO), Burma
132. Tavoy Women’s Union (TWU)
133. Temple Beth Tikvah, Roswell, GA
134. Temple Habonim, Barrington, RI
135. Tennessee Kachin Community, TN, USA
136. U.S. Campaign for Burma, Washington, DC, USA
137. Unitarian Universalist Association, NY, USA
138. Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, MA, USA
139. Unitarian Universalist Women’s Federation, WI, USA
140. United States Chin Coalition, IN, USA
141. UU College of Social Justice, MA, USA
142. UU Mass Action, MA, USA
143. UU Society of Oneonta NY, USA
144. Virginia Kachin Community, VA, USA
145. Washington Kachin Community, WA, USA
146. West Virginia Kachin Community, WV, USA
147. Women for Justice (WJ), Burma
148. Women’s League of Burma, Thailand
149. Women’s Peace Network, Washington, DC. USA

Download PDF.