Joint Statement by the Civil Society Organizations of Myanmar and Cambodia Condemning Hun Sen’s Support of the Myanmar Military Junta
We, the undersigned civil society organizations of Myanmar and Cambodia, strongly condemn Hun Sen for supporting the criminal military junta in Myanmar and demand an urgent coordinated international response to immediately halt the junta’s campaign of terror.
The Myanmar military junta has been using extreme violence to terrorize the people across the country since its attempted coup on 1 February 2021. The people of Myanmar continue to resist strongly, succeeding at pushing back the military junta who has failed to gain effective control of the country after eleven months. Yet, the junta continues to commit inhumane acts of violence especially in ethnic areas – amounting to crimes against humanity and war crimes.
As of today, 1,398 people have been killed, including at least 100 children and 11,328 people have been illegally detained according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners. Those in detention face torture, murder, and deprivation of food and water. Women have been raped and gang-raped inside and outside prison. Properties have been robbed and destroyed by junta soldiers. Since February, over 280,000 civilians have been internally displaced. Towns and villages have been burned or blown away by artillery shelling and airstrikes. Medical facilities and medical workers have been attacked. Humanitarian aid has been blocked and destroyed, unable to reach those desperately in need of assistance.
Recently on 24 December 2021, the junta arrested approximately 40 innocent villagers near Moso Village in the western part of Hpruso Township in Karenni State including women and children, put them in vehicles while their hands tied behind their backs and burned them alive. Similar massacres took place at Dontaw Village in Salingyi Township in Sagaing Region on 7 December, where 11 civilians were burned to death. Before this, the junta massacred at least 40 civilians over four different inhumane incidents in Kani Township, Sagaing Region in July.
While the atrocities were being committed in Karenni State, since 15 December, the terrorist junta has started shelling using heavy weaponry at Lay Kay Kaw and surrounding areas in Karen State and later with the use of airstrikes – jets bombing the area indiscriminately. This has displaced more than 10,000 innocent civilians, half of whom fled to Thailand to take refuge. Some Thai villagers also had to relocate, as some houses on the Thai side of the border were destroyed by the Myanmar junta’s artillery shelling.
Speaking at the inauguration of the new Hyatt Regency Hotel in Phnom Penh on 15 December 2021, Hun Sen publicly revealed that his highest priority in 2022 while Cambodia serves as chair of ASEAN is to support the return of Myanmar to fully functioning member of ASEAN under the illegal military junta. Hun Sen plans to visit Myanmar on 7 January 2022, for talks with the leader of the murderous junta, Min Aung Hlaing – a move that would only serve to embolden the military junta to continue their campaign of terror against the people of Myanmar. Hun Sen’s plan to act unilaterally in addressing the multidimensional crisis in Myanmar is utterly insufficient, as Hun Sen should know well from the Cambodian experience. Ending the Khmer Rouge required a concerted international and UN response, it was not left in the hands of only one man.
The escalating violence being committed by the junta against the people of Myanmar amounts to crimes against humanity and war crimes, amidst an ongoing genocide against the Rohingya since 2017. Hun Sen must not condone and applaud such inhumane acts and should know well of the pain and immense suffering of genocide on a nation, given the millions of Cambodian people who were victims and survivors of genocide committed by the tyrannical Khmer Rouge. Hun Sen must not lend legitimacy to the genocidal junta, and he must not forget the suffering of millions of Cambodians who faced genocide.
Hun Sen reiterated that a solution for Myanmar cannot be achieved without negotiating with those who are currently in power, but ultimately power lies with the people of Myanmar who have declared in the strongest terms that they have no desire to see negotiations with this criminal military junta who are committing atrocity crimes.
Hun Sen referenced the Civil Disobedience Movement and the National Unity Government of Myanmar as guerrilla fighters or shadow government. The people of Myanmar hereby declare in the strongest terms that they take the utmost exception to his references and take them as the worst insult possible.
While ASEAN’s decision in October 2021 to exclude junta leader Min Aung Hlaing from the annual regional summit was unprecedented and a step in the right direction, ASEAN must take further decisive steps to resolve the intensifying crisis in Myanmar. The recent incidents of extreme violence in Karen and Karenni States and Sagaing Region clearly show there must be an urgent and stronger coordinated international response. We urge the UN, ASEAN, and international community at large to take concrete actions to end the junta’s campaign of terror against the people and hold them to account through international accountability mechanisms.
The root cause of the crisis in Myanmar is the military junta. It has caused not only immense suffering of the people of Myanmar but has also posed a threat to regional peace and stability. Hun Sen, ASEAN and the international community must realize that the Myanmar military junta has no genuine intention to comply with ASEAN’s Five-Point Consensus and that ASEAN alone is ill-equipped to tackle the crisis in Myanmar.
ASEAN must recognize the legitimate government of Myanmar, the National Unity Government, work in coordination with the UN and the NUG and demand the military junta to immediately halt its terror campaign against the people. ASEAN’s credibility is at stake, and it must put effective pressure on the Myanmar military junta to end its relentless violence and support the people of Myanmar in their endeavor to establish a federal democracy.
In addition, ASEAN member states must cut all business ties with the Myanmar military junta and stop all programs and activities that lend legitimacy to the junta as these would be complicit in the junta’s crimes against humanity and war crimes.
ASEAN, as well as the UN General Assembly and the UN Security Council, that has backed the ASEAN’s Five-Point Consensus, must ensure that Hun Sen does not act alone in 2022 – lending legitimacy to the Myanmar military junta and further emboldening them to cause more harm to the people. This would be an insult to the people of Myanmar and Cambodia and further jeopardizing ASEAN’s already-diminishing credibility during the Cambodia tenure as chair of ASEAN in 2022. Human rights violations and atrocity crimes committed by Hun Sen and Min Aung Hlaing must be rectified and democracy and human rights must be restored to the peoples of Cambodia and Myanmar.
The people of Cambodia are in their own tireless struggle for full-fledged democracy and protection of human rights, currenting calling for free and fair elections in 2022. The people of Myanmar stand in solidarity with the people of Cambodia who want to overcome an oppressive authoritarian leader, who routinely denies and violates their human rights. The people of Myanmar categorically reject the terrorist military junta’s announced plan of elections in 2023 – just as they have been defiantly and categorically rejecting its bloody coup attempt for the past eleven months.
The undersigned CSOs from Myanmar declare in the strongest terms that Hun Sen is not welcome in Myanmar and the undersigned Cambodian CSOs declare that Hun Sen’s views are his own and do not represent the will of the Cambodian people.
Signed by:
- Action Against Myanmar Military Coup (Sydney)
- Action Committee for Democracy Development
- All Arakan Students’ and Youths’ Congress (AASYC)
- All Burma Student Democratic Front – Australia Branch
- All Burma Monks Alliance (ABMA)
- All Burma Monks’ Representative Committee (ABMRC)
- All Young Burmese League (AYBL)
- ALTSEAN-Burma
- Anti Dictatorship in Burma – DC Metro Area
- Anti-Myanmar Dictatorship Movement
- Anti-Myanmar Military Dictatorship Network (AMMDN)
- Arakan Rohingya Development Association – Australia Inc. (ARDA-Australia)
- Arakan Rohingya National Organisation (ARNO)
- Arakan Rohingya Union
- Artists Against Tyranny
- Athan – Freedom of Expression Activist Organization
- Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP)
- Association of Human Rights Defenders and Promoters-HRDP
- Australia Burma Friendship Association, Northern Territory
- Australia Karen Organization WA Inc.
- Australia Myanmar DNF
- Australia Myanmar Youth Alliance (AMYA)
- Australian Burmese Muslim Organisation
- Australian Chin Community (Eastern Melbourne Inc)
- Australian Karen Organisation (AKO)
- Australian Karen Organisation (AKO) Queensland
- Bamar Community Tasmania
- Better Burmese Health Care
- Blood Money Campaign
- Boston Free Burma
- Burma Action Ireland
- Burma Campaign UK
- Burma Human Rights Network
- Burma Lawyers’ Council (BLC)
- Burma Task Force
- Burmese American Millennials
- Burmese Canadian Network
- Burmese Community (Australia)
- Burmese Community Development Collaboration (BCDC)
- Burmese Community Support Group-BCSG
- Burmese Friendship Association
- Burmese Medical Association Australia (BMAA)
- Burmese Rohingya Association in Japan ( BRAJ)
- Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK (BROUK)
- Burmese Rohingya Welfare Organization New Zealand
- Burmese Women’s Union
- Cambodian Americans and Friends for Democracy and Human Rights Advocates
- Cambodian Americans for Human Rights and Democracy (CAHRAD)
- Cambodian Australian Federation (CAF)
- Campaign for a New Myanmar
- Canadian Rohingya Development Initiative
- Canberra Karen Association
- Chin Community of Western Australia Inc.
- Chin Community SA (Australia)
- Chin Community Tasmania
- Chin Leaders of Tomorrow
- Chin Youth Organization
- Citizens of Burma Award (New Zealand)
- CRPH Funding Ireland
- CRPH/NUG Support Group Australia
- CRPH-NUG Supporters (Ireland)
- Democracy for Burma
- Democracy for Ethnic Minorities Organization
- Democracy, Peace and Women’s Organization -DPW
- Democratic Youth Council
- Equality Myanmar (EQMM)
- European Karen Network (EKN)
- European Rohingya Council (ERC)
- Falam Community
- Federal Myanmar Benevolence Group
- Foundation of Khmer Samaki (FKSamaki)
- Free Burma Coalition- Philippines
- Freedom for Burma
- Free Myanmar
- Free Myanmar Campaign USA (Indianapolis, IN)
- Free Rohingya Coalition
- Freedom Justice Equality for Myanmar
- Future Light Center
- Future Thanlwin
- General Strike Collaboration Committee (GSCC)
- Global Movement for Myanmar Democracy (GM4MD)
- Global Myanmar Spring Revolution
- Human Rights Foundation of Monland
- Industrial Training Centre (ITC) Family Sydney
- The Institution of Professional Engineers Myanmar
- International Campaign for the Rohingya
- International Society of Myanmar Scholars and Professionals
- John VI Film
- Joint Action Committee for Democracy in Burma (JACDB)
- Justice For Myanmar
- Kachin Association Australia
- Kachin Association of Australia WA Inc.
- Kachin National Organization USA
- Karen Community (Australia)
- Karen Community Association UK
- Karen Environment and Social Action Network
- Karen Organization of America
- Karen Peace Support Network (KPSN)
- Karen Swedish Community (KSC)
- Karen Women’s Organization (KWO)
- Karenni Federation of Australia
- Karenni Human Rights Group
- Karenni/Kayah Community (Australia)
- Karenni National Women’s Organization (KNWO)
- Kayin Community Tasmania
- Keng Tung Youth
- Khmer Alliance Foundation
- Khmer Association of Hampton Road Virginia (KAHRV)
- Khmer People Network for Cambodia (KPNC)
- La Communauté Birmane de France
- Listen Up Myanmar
- Los Angeles Myanmar Movement-LA2M
- LGBT Alliance-Myanmar
- Matu Chin Community (Austalia)
- Me Boun Foundation
- Metta Campaign Mandalay
- Mindat Chin Community NSW
- Mindat Community (Australia)
- Mizo Community (Australia)
- Mon Families Group (Australia)
- Mon National Council (Australia)
- Myanmar Buddhist Community of South Australia
- Myanmar Community Coffs Harbour, Australia (MCC)
- Myanmar Democracy and Peace Committee (Australia)
- Myanmar Democratic Movement (MDM)
- Myanmar Development Foundation
- Myanmar Engineering Association of Australia (MEAA)
- Myanmar Ethnic Rohingya Human Rights Organization Malaysia ( MERHROM )
- Myanmar Family Community Ireland
- Myanmar Global Support Foundation (General Incorporated Association)
- Myanmar Muslim Association Netherland
- Myanmar People Alliance (Shan State)
- Myanmar People Residing in Canberra
- Myanmar Professionals Association Australia (MPAA)
- Myanmar Students’ Association Australia (MSAA)
- Myanmar Queer Straight Alliance
- Network for Human Rights Documentation Burma (ND-Burma)
- NLD Solidarity Association (Australia)
- No Business With Genocide
- Nyan Lynn Thit Analytica
- Olive Organization
- People’s Hope Spring Revolution
- Perth Myanmar Youth Network
- Pro Démocratie pour le Cambodge du Canada (PDCC)
- Progressive Voice
- PWVB (Patriotic War Veterans of Burma)
- Queensland Kachin Community (QKC)
- Queensland Myanmar Youth Collective (QMYC)
- Queensland Rohingya Community
- Red Campaign Nirvana Exhortation Group
- Remonya Association of WA (Mon Community)
- Rohingya Action Ireland
- Rohingya Human Rights Network
- Rohingya Women Development Network
- Rohingya Youth Association (RYA)
- Save and Care Organization for Ethnic Women at Border Areas
- Save Myanmar (San Francisco)
- Save Myanmar (USA)
- Shan MATA
- ShizuYouth for Myanmar
- Shwe Youth Democratic Alliance (SYDA)
- Sisters 2 Sisters
- Sitt Nyein Pann Foundation
- Students For Free Burma (SFB)
- Southcare Medical Centre
- Southern Youth Development Organization
- Support for Myanmar
- Support Group for Democracy in Myanmar (Netherlands)
- Support the Democracy Movement in Burma (SDMB)
- Swedish Burma Committee
- Swedish Rohingya Association (SRA)
- Sydney Friends for Myanmar Unity
- Ta’ang Women’s Organization
- Ta’ang Legal Aid
- Tanintharyi MATA
- Thint Myat Lo Thu Myar
- Union of Karenni State Youth
- United Myanmar Community of South Australia
- US Advocacy Coalition for Myanmar
- US Campaign for Burma
- Victorian Burmese Care Community (VBCC)
- Victorian Myanmar Youth
- We love Myanmar
- We Pledge CDM (Australia)
- Western Australia Myanmar Democratic Network
- Women Activists Myanmar (WAM)
- Women Advocacy Coalition – Myanmar (WAC-M)
- Women’s League of Burma
- Women’s Peace Network
- Yadanar Foundation
- Yangon Medical Network
- Zo Community (Australia)
- Zomi Association Australia Inc.
- Zomi Community South Australia
- Zomi Community Queensland
Supported by:
ANAKBAYAN Daly City
ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR)
Asia Democracy Network
Asia Pacific Solidarity Coalition
Association for the Advancement of Freedom of Religion or Belief in Vietnam (AAFORB-VN)
Blasian March
Boat People SOS
Campaign Committee for Human Rights (CCHR)
Campaign for Popular Democracy (CPD)
Clarity & Decency
Coalition to Abolish Modern-day Slavery in Asia (CAMSA)
Committee for Religious Freedom in Vietnam
Initiatives for International Dialogue
Justice for All
League of Filipino Students SFSU
Milk Tea Alliance
Nguyen Van Ly Foundation
Peace and Human Rights Resource Center (PHRC)
The Regional Center for Social Science and Sustainable Development (RCSD)
Resist US-Led War
Spirit in Education Movement (SEM)
Vietnam Coalition Against Torture
