Six years ago, the Myanmar military perpetuated genocide and has yet to be brought to justice
This week marks the sixth anniversary of the Rohingya genocide. Six years ago, the Myanmar military launched attacks on Rohingya communities in Rakhine State forcing over 700,000 Rohingya refugees to flee to Bangladesh where they remain to this day.
To mark this week, we brought a delegation of Rohingya community leaders to Washington, DC, for a series of meetings with Administration officials and Members of Congress. They are making a powerful case for the US government to take effective action to hold the Myanmar military accountable for its acts of genocide and crimes against humanity throughout Burma.
Would you like to meet your Members of Congress regarding Myanmar?
Thanks in large part to your continual lobbying, two more U.S. representatives, Seth Moulton (D, MA-6) and David Trone (D, MD-6), have just joined the co-sponsors of House resolution 86 on Myanmar.
Rep. Trone signed on as a co-sponsor of H.Res.86 after his staff met with a group of our supporters from his district. We’re seeking one or more people in each state and House district to set up similar constituent meetings. We would work with you to set up a Zoom or in-person meeting with the staff of your House Member or senators. We’d also prepare you beforehand with talking points. The goal is to let you – voters from the district – lobby your Members of Congress effectively.
We were impressed at how many people contacted us to step up. As a result, we’ve already set up several meetings for our supporters with key Members of Congress.
Nothing has more impact on Members of Congress than the voice of voters from the district. If you wish to organize or just participate in a meeting with staffers of your Members of Congress, just email us at [email protected]
What is the impact of these Congressional resolutions?
In support of the people of Myanmar, our friends in Congress have introduced two bipartisan resolutions, one in the House of Representatives (H.Res.86) and the other in the Senate (S.Res.20). The resolutions condemn the Burmese military for seizing power in its February 1st, 2021, coup d’etat. More importantly, the resolutions put Congressional pressure on the Biden Administration to:
– impose sanctions on Burmese military-owned or military-controlled companies, such as Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE);
– work with the United Nations and ASEAN countries to delegitimize the military; and
– empower and assist the National Unity Government of Myanmar, the National Unity Consultative Council, the Civil Disobedience Movement, and Burmese civil society.
If you don’t have the time to meet with your Members of Congress, please follow up your message with phone calls and emails to the staff of your U.S. senators and representative.
We have new resources to make this easier for you. We’re continually updating our online listing of key staff of every member of the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives. Check it out here:
Click here for a list of staff for the U.S. Senate.
Click here for a list of staff for the U.S. House.
If you have extra time, please make a phone call and follow-up email to the staff of your U.S. senators and representative. Just follow the steps below! Sometimes just one call or direct email from you can make the difference.
Learn more about the Rohingya here.