Open Letter to G20 Member Countries: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China,  France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa,  South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union.

Date: 9.9.2023

Esteemed leaders and delegates of the G20 member nations,

Today, we come together to emphasize the importance of your focused attention and unified  efforts regarding the crisis unfolding in Myanmar. The escalating atrocities perpetrated by the  military junta demand immediate, united intervention. As representatives of the world’s  foremost economies, you possess the influence and the moral duty to address this pressing  issue.

The situation in Myanmar is deeply distressing and deeply alarming. Over the past 30 months,  we have borne witness to more than 4,000 lives tragically lost, over 24,000 individuals unjustly  detained, and the issuance of 145 death sentences—an unforgivable affront to the Myanmar  people. These are the figures corroborated by the Assistance Association for Political  Prisoners (AAPP), though we must acknowledge the grim likelihood that the actual toll is  much higher.

The Myanmar military’s relentless targeting of civilians through more than 1,400 airstrikes1 has led to the displacement of over 1.7 million innocent people. This is a conservative  estimate of the UN, and the figure is expected to rise to 2.7 million by the end of 2023.2 Adding  to the country’s misery, the junta’s military is said to have burned down around 75,000  homes3 and put more than 17 million people in need of humanitarian aid.

In view of this dire situation, we, the undersigned, implore G20 member nations to consider  the following immediate actions:

1. Acknowledgment of the Global Implications: We urgently call upon G20 member  states to acknowledge that the crisis in Myanmar extends beyond its borders. The  plight of more than 50 million Myanmar people and the regional security threats must  not be relegated to a purely domestic matter. Economic considerations must not  supersede the imperative to end the reign of terror imposed by the Myanmar military.
2. Accountability for Enablers: The international community bears a solemn duty to take  action against governments and non-governmental organizations that provide any  form of support to the Myanmar military. Those aiding and abetting atrocities by selling weapons, technology, fuel, and diplomatic legitimization must be held  accountable.

3. Exclusion of Military-Linked Entities: We beseech G20 member countries and  international organizations to cut ties with the Myanmar military and instead  acknowledge and collaborate with the National Unity Government. The legitimacy of  the chosen representatives of the Myanmar people must be upheld.
4. Swift Measures to Halt Crimes: Finally, we implore the G20 to work collaboratively to  take prompt, concrete, and effective actions to halt the heinous crimes perpetrated  by the Myanmar military. The lives and well-being of more than 50 million people are  hanging in the balance, and every day of inaction exacts a devastating toll.

The G20 Summit is supposed to offer leadership in the face of pressing challenges. It is of  utmost importance that we unite to confront the Myanmar crisis with a sense of urgency,  compassion, and unwavering commitment to justice. The Myanmar people deserve nothing  less, and it is the moral duty of the international community to stand in solidarity with them.

Let our legacy be one of peace, justice, and compassion, an enduring testament to the power  of unity in the face of adversity.

Undersigned Organizations  

1. #MilkTeaAlliance Friends of Myanmar
2. Action Committee for Democracy Development (Coalition of 14 grassroots networks)
3. Ah Nah Podcast – Conversations with Myanmar
4. ALTSEAN-Burma
5. ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR)
6. Asia Democracy Network
7. Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA)
8. Asia-Pacific Solidarity Coalition (APSOC)
9. Association of Human Rights Defenders and Promoters
10. Athan – Freedom of Expression Activist Organization
11. Be A Light In The Darkness
12. Burma Action Ireland
13. Burma Affairs and Conflicts Study (BACS)
14. Burma Campaign UK
15. CRPH Funding Ireland
16. CRPH/NUG Support Group – India
17. Educational Initiatives Prague
18. Equality Myanmar
19. Freedom and Labor Action Group
20. Future Light Center
21. General Strike Committee of Nationalities
22. Generation Wave
23. Human Rights Foundation of Monland
24. Info Birmanie
25. Initiatives for International Dialogue
26. India For Myanmar
27. Karen Human Rights Group
28. National Alliance – Bangkok
29. New Power Generation
30. No Boundary Supporting Group “NBSG”
31. NUG and CRPH Supporters Ireland
32. Progressive Voice
33. Rohingya Action Ireland
34. Swedish Burma Committee
35. Ta’ang Women’s Organization (TWO)
36. U.S. Campaign for Burma
37. Unitarian Universalist Service Committee
38. White Coat Society Yangon
39. Yangon Medical Network
40. Undisclosed Organization Name (1)
41. Undisclosed Organization Name (2)
42. Undisclosed Organization Name (3)
43. Undisclosed Organization Name (4)
44. Undisclosed Organization Name (5)

1 RFA Burmese. “Myanmar’s junta increasingly relying on airstrikes, research group says.” Radio Free Asia, May 24, 2023,  https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/airstrikes-data-report-05242023163329.html

2 UNOCHA (UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs). “Myanmar Humanitarian Needs Overview 2023.”  ReliefWeb.int, January 15, 2023, https://reliefweb.int/report/myanmar/myanmar-humanitarian-needs-overview-2023- january-2023

3 Irawaddy. “Almost 75,000 Homes Incinerated by Junta Forces in Myanmar Since the Coup.” The Irawaddy, August 10,  2023, https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/conflicts-in-numbers/almost-75000-homes-incinerated-by-junta-forces-in myanmar-since-the-coup.html

Download PDF.