Myanmar coup: International solidarity with the protest movement is vital
Sanctions are welcome but they offer little comfort to those experiencing a now daily terror, writes Sky News' Siobhan Robbins.
Monday 1 March 2021 06:54, UK
The escalation in violence against protestors in Myanmar is deeply disturbing and criminal - but sadly not unexpected.
Since the coup a month ago, an uptick in lethal force is what most demonstrators have been grimly preparing for.
Whether it's the journalist contacts we have on the ground, the seasoned analysts, or the terrified residents who contact us almost daily to report abuses, all have been waiting for a brutal crackdown since the military seized control of the country at the beginning of February.
The force being used by authorities ramped up throughout last month, culminating on Sunday in the bloodiest day so far with at least 18 demonstrators dead.
Again, the international community swiftly condemned the killing of civilians but for some these words and warnings are wearing thin as the death toll mounts.
According to AAPP Burma (Assistance Association for Political Prisoners), 1,132 people have been arrested, charged or sentenced since 1 February and around 30 people have died. Statements of deep concern just don't cut it.
"While the international community is 'watching', many people have been arrested. While they're 'condemning the use of violence' many have been injured and died. While another statement is being drafted, MAL (Min Aung Hlaing) is using every tactic to oppress people. We deserve more than words," wrote Wai Hnin, an activist whose father was detained by the military on the night of the coup and hasn't been heard from since.
Some action has already been taken by several countries. The UK has imposed sanctions on individuals connected with human rights abuses, pledged to ensure aid cannot be used to support the military, and said UK businesses do not trade with military owned companies.
On Sunday, in addition to the sanctions already announced, the US warned it was "preparing additional actions to impose further costs on those responsible for this latest outbreak of violence and the recent coup".
While these moves are welcome, for those trapped inside a country where the security forces have made it clear murdering citizens isn't an issue, they offer little comfort to the now daily terror.
Protestors head out onto the streets to fight for democracy not knowing if they will be alive by nightfall.
They carry their banners and shout their demands uncertain if they will be beaten, detained or disappear.
They stand on their doorsteps at night banging pans in the hope of driving out the devil that's taken hold of their country, or to alert neighbours that soldiers have appeared in the street under the cover of darkness.
They send desperate pleas to journalists like me who are shut out by closed borders. "Help us", they implore.
So what can we do?
Governments must stand firm; they must be united in their condemnation and continue to up the pressure on the leaders responsible for the violence.
UN Special Rapporteur, Tom Andrews, has listed possible options for the UN including a global arms embargo, tough, targeted and coordinated sanctions, and the convening of the UN Security Council to consider actions including a referral to the International Criminal Court.
Most experts agree that any sanctions imposed must continue to be targeted to ensure they do not increase the suffering of ordinary people.
Rejection of the coup must be clear, as must solidarity with the protest movement and the civil disobedience movement which may still be the demonstrators' most effective weapon.
As Crisis Group's senior adviser on Myanmar, Richard Horsey notes: "The toughest sanctions in the world could not paralyse the Myanmar state in the way these ground-level strikes are doing."
A day after the bloodshed, the protestors are already back on the streets vowing to "fight to the end".
But one thing is clear - the military will not stop either.
Soldiers' weapons won't be laid down, security forces' hands won't be stayed, more lives will be lost.
The generals running the country are the same people who oversaw a ruthless crackdown in 2017 where Rohingya were raped, murdered and driven from their homes - the spilling of civilian blood is not new for them.
As Mr Andrews warns: "What the world is watching in Myanmar is outrageous and unacceptable. Words of condemnation are necessary and welcome, but insufficient. The world must act. We must all act."