On Yom HaShoah we remember the victims and celebrate the people who fought back
Israel’s parliament (the Knesset) set the date for Yom HaShoah. The full name is “Yom Hashoah Ve-Hagevurah“or the “Day of (Remembrance of) the Holocaust and the Heroism.” This year it starts at sundown on April 27 and goes through sundown on April 28.
This day holds great meaning for Jews worldwide. The overwhelming theme that runs through all observances is the importance of remembering — recalling the victims of this catastrophe, and insuring that such a tragedy never happen again.
The Shoah (Holocaust) posed an enormous challenge to Judaism and raised many questions: Can one be a believing Jew after the Holocaust? Where was God? How can one have faith in humanity? Facing this recent event in history, does it really matter if one practices Judaism?
When genocide came to Rwanda in April 1994, Paul Rusesabagina fought back. As the manager of the Hotel des Milles Collines, he was able to save 1,268 people from certain death. His story was told in the movie, Hotel Rwanda.
The good news is that there are things you can to do help:
Buy a t-shirt. Proceeds go towards Paul’s legal defense fund.
Contact Congress. We need the House of Representatives to pass H. Res 892. You can contact your member of Congress here.
Sign our petition to Dr. Jill Biden. As an educator, she understands the importance of using stories like Paul’s to teach people how to make a difference. Let her know you want her to help bring Paul home by signing it here.
We won’t stop fighting until Paul is home.
Help the Uyghurs
Since 2017, China has rounded up and imprisoned between one and two million people. New reports are out that China is not content with simply targeting Uyghurs who live within that nation’s borders but is targeting people who live all around the globe. Thanks to your hard work, President Joe Biden signed the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act into law. There is more that we can do.
Tell the House to pass the Uyghur Policy Act. This will make the Biden Administration take the crisis with the Uyghurs seriously when dealing with China. Check it out here.
Tell Anta Sports to do more. Anta Sports has a huge reach. If you play or watch sports, you have interacted with a product from Anta Sports. They own 25 other companies (Fila, for one) and sponsor athletes all over the planet. Tell them to treat Uyghurs with respect by going here.
End the military junta in Myanmar
Nearly 14 months after the military took control of Burma and their brutality continues. Thanks to your work, Harry Winston stopped selling #GenocideGems, Kirin Beer cut its ties to the Myanmar military, and Chevron is moving out of the country.
Get the Senate to pass the BURMA Act. Your letters, emails, calls, and meetings made a difference in the House of Representatives but we need the bill to pass the Senate. Will you contact your senators? You can do that here. We heard from a number of Congressional offices that they were impressed with how many people reached out about this issue — let’s keep it up!
Tell TIAA-CREF to stop doing business with genocide. Chevron has been one of the biggest cash cows for the Myanmar military. TIAA-CREF has a lot of pull with Chevron. In the past, they have voted against shareholder resolutions to get Chevron out of the genocide business. In late May, Chevron shareholders will vote on a resolution to prevent Chevron from doing business with genocidal regimes. Let’s make sure TIAA-CREF is on board. Sign our petition here.
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Petition to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and the International Labour Organization (ILO)
We, the undersigned, representing concerned citizens, civil society organizations, and advocates for human rights, urgently call upon theUnited Nations Security Council (UNSC)and theInternationalLabour Organization (ILO)to take immediate action to address the humanitarian crisis resulting from the forced conscription law imposed by the military junta in Myanmar.
Background:
OnFebruary 10, 2024, the military junta in Myanmar announced its illegitimate enforcement of the People’s Military Service Law (Nº 27/2010), compelling up to 50,000 people per year to serve in the military for up to five years. This forced conscription isa blatant violation ofinternational law and fundamental human rights, threatening peace, stability, and the well-being of the people of Myanmar. It poses a significant threat in Myanmar and the region for several reasons:
Illegitimate military:The Myanmar military began an attempted coup in February 2021, and since then has no longer been working in service to the nation of Myanmar. Rather, it now operates under the command of an unelected and illegitimate military junta. Under this leadership, the military has launched a nationwide campaign of heinous crimes against the people of Myanmar in an attempt to suppress and control them. To date, the military haskilledover4,500 people, andarrestedmore than26,000including the President, State Counsellor, elected members of parliament, journalists, pro-democracy activists, religious leaders and others. Over 20,000 remain incarcerated. The military has committed massacres, indiscriminate airstrikes, artillery shelling, sexual and gender-based violence, mass torture and mass arson. As a result,2.4 million peoplehave fled their homes since the attempted coup began.
Forced Conscription of Women, Children, Professionals and Retirees:The junta’s decision to use conscription is widely understood among Myanmar people as a desperate attempt to compensate for its growing combat losses and defections. The junta’s State Administration Council (SAC) will forcibly recruit civilians, includingmenaged18-35 years,womenaged18-27 yearsand professionals such as doctors and engineers. Those who refuse will facea five-year jailterm. This adds to the junta’s illegitimate use of other forms of forced recruitment such as the Reserve Forces Law (2010) under which wives and children of soldiers aged over 15 are currently forced to undergo military training and retired or discharged military personnel are forced to serve for unspecified lengths of time. The junta’s forced recruitment is an extreme measure, particularly in relation to children and retirement aged people. Further, the forced recruitment of young women is especially egregious given the junta’s ongoing use of sexual violence.
Exacerbation of Violence:
The implementation of forced conscription by the military junta escalates the already unprecedented violence in Myanmar. As the junta faces growing resistance from democratic forces, it resorts to forced conscription as a means of psychological warfare to terrorize the population into submission. This escalation of violence further destabilises the country and heightens tensions within communities. (1)
Use of Human Shields and Atrocities:
The military junta has a track record of using civilians, including women and children, as human shields, minesweepers, and porters. Forcing conscription provides the junta with a ready pool of recruits to exploit in these dangerous roles, exposing them to the risk of abuse, torture, and even death.
Moreover, the junta’s history of committing atrocities, including sexual violence against women, raises serious concerns about the safety and well-being of those subjected to forced conscription.
Civilian Backlash and Fallout:
The announcement of forced conscription has triggered a major backlash among Myanmar’s civilian population, leading to widespread fear, anger, and resistance. Many young people are considering drastic measures to evade conscription, such as fleeing the country or joining resistance forces. This mass opposition to conscription is likely to further destabilize the country and contribute to social unrest
Humanitarian Crisis and Refugee Outflow: Forced conscription has already led to a rush of people seeking to leave Myanmar, leading to overcrowding and chaos at border crossings. This mass exodus poses humanitarian challenges for neighbouring countries and increases the risk of conflict spillover. Moreover, the targeting of specific ethnic and religious groups, such as the Rohingya, for conscription further exacerbates existing tensions and raises concerns about potential genocide or ethnic cleansing.
Petition:
1. We call upon theUnited Nations Security Council (UNSC)to:
Immediately convene an emergency meeting to address the crisis in Myanmar and propose a binding resolution under Chapter VII of the UN Charter.
Directly address the Myanmar crisis with relevant partners to manage its consequences, as relying solely on ASEAN has proven ineffective and contributed to escalating regional instability in Southeast Asia.
Imposing targeted sanctions especially on providing insurance to jet fuel import; banning the import of jet fuel into Myanmar; and a comprehensive arms embargo against the military junta to halt the enforcement of the Conscription Law and prevent further human rights violations.
Refer the situation in Myanmar to the International Criminal Court or establish an ad hoc tribunal to hold perpetrators of atrocities accountable.
2. We call upon theInternational Labour Organization (ILO)to:
Reject the forced conscription law imposed by the military junta in Myanmar as a grave violation of international labour standards and fundamental human rights.
Take decisive action against the State Administrative Council (SAC) for illegitimately forcing this law, which has a documented history of committing heinous crimes against humanity, including sexual violence against women, forced portering, and the use of civilians as human shields. Such actions constitute egregious violations of human rights and demand immediate accountability.
Condemn the use of forced labour and take immediate action to investigate and monitor instances of forced conscription in Myanmar.
Provide technical assistance and support to the legitimate government of Myanmar, theNational Unity Government (NUG),Ethnic Representation Organisations (ERO), andcivil society organizationsto address forced labour, protect the rights of affected individuals.
Conclusion:
The forced conscription law imposed by the military junta in Myanmar represents a severe threat to peace, stability, and human security in the region. We urge the United Nations Security Council and the International Labour Organization to act swiftly and decisively to address this crisis and uphold the principles of justice, dignity, and human rights for all.
