Passage of Burma Act in US hailed by pro-democracy groups

Myanmar

The passage of the law marks important progress in ensuring relief to the people of Myanmar from military junta rule

International religious and rights groups have welcomed the passage of the Burma Act by the US House of Representatives, hoping that it will accelerate stricter sanctions against Myanmar’s military junta.

The Burma Unified through Rigorous Military Accountability Act of 2021 was passed by a voice vote on April 6. It further needs to be adopted by the Senate and signed into law by the Joe Biden administration before it authorizes the Department of State to initiate action.

“Together with last month’s formal determination by the Biden administration that the Burmese military committed a genocide against Rohingya, the passage of the Burma Act reaffirms the United States’ leadership to protect human rights and democratic values and ensure accountability and justice,” said Democrat legislator Gregory W. Meeks, who introduced the Burma Act last October.

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The broad coalition of diaspora communities in the US with the endorsement of civil society organizations and community organizations inside Myanmar have pinned hopes on the bill.

Duwa Lashi La, acting president of Myanmar’s shadow National Unity Government (NUG), thanked the House for passing the bill as it affirms “the US leadership in supporting our fight for human rights and democratic values and justice.”

One of the steps could be to designate a coordinator to promote democracy and human rights as well as enable humanitarian assistance and civil society support and impose targeted sanctions with respect to human rights in Myanmar.

“The US should continue to use these tools to place pressure on Myanmar’s military regime, especially by targeting Myanmar’s offshore gas industry, which is the largest source of revenue for the junta”

International Christian Concern (ICC), a group that monitors the persecution of Christians around the world, said the bill’s passage is critical to the many religious minorities living in Myanmar and those displaced by the violence.

It said that while the conflict did not start as a direct assault on the country’s religious groups, it has brought significant harm to the country’s Christian communities.

“Passing the House with both Democrat and Republican support sends the message that the conflict in Burma is not a partisan issue. This vote puts us one step closer to protecting Myanmar’s civilians and its ethnic and religious minorities caught in the crossfire,” said Timothy Carothers, ICC’s advocacy manager for Southeast Asia.

Hanna Hindstrom, a senior Myanmar campaigner at Global Witness, said: “The bill provides desperately needed aid to the people of Myanmar while also strengthening the sanctions tools available to the US. The US should continue to use these tools to place pressure on Myanmar’s military regime, especially by targeting Myanmar’s offshore gas industry, which is the largest source of revenue for the junta.”

The Jewish Rohingya Justice Network, a consortium of Jewish NGOs that advocates for Rohingya rights, urged the Senate to vote on the Burma Act without delay.

“The people of Burma need international support to restore their country to a true democracy and bring justice and accountability to all those who continue to suffer at the hands of the brutal Burmese military,” the group said.

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