{"id":22712,"date":"2021-03-31T15:55:04","date_gmt":"2021-03-31T07:55:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/klscah.org.my\/?p=22712"},"modified":"2021-03-31T15:55:04","modified_gmt":"2021-03-31T07:55:04","slug":"memorandum-to-the-myanmar-embassy-in-malaysia-on-the-escalating-violence-in-myanmar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/klscah.org.my\/en\/2021\/03\/22712.html","title":{"rendered":"Memorandum to the Myanmar Embassy in Malaysia on the escalating violence in Myanmar"},"content":{"rendered":"

Memorandum to the Myanmar Embassy in Malaysia on the escalating violence in
\nMyanmar
\n31 March 2021<\/p>\n

Malaysian civil society organisations and Myanmar refugees, asylum seekers in
\nMalaysia view with alarm the escalating violence perpetrated by the military junta
\nagainst non-violent, peaceful protesters throughout Myanmar. We condemn the illegal
\noverthrow of the civilian government by the military government in Myanmar, and we
\nnote that this unlawful coup d\u2019\u00e9tat falls foul of the 2008 military-drafted constitution.<\/p>\n

We are greatly concerned that the one-year state of emergency declared by the
\nMyanmar military on 1 February pursuant to Article 417 of the Constitution has become
\na death-warrant for thousands of peaceful protestors in Myanmar. At this moment,
\nmillions around the country have been participating in peaceful, non-violent protests and
\nthe civil servants are also participating voluntarily at the Civil Disobedience Movement
\n(CDM) that cuts across ethnic, religious, political, and economic lines, many of these
\nprotests are led by the youth, resisting the authoritarian rule by the military.<\/p>\n

We condemn that the junta has responded to these peaceful protests with assault,
\nmass arbitrary detention, threats, lethal use of force, and harassment. We believe these
\nviolations by the security forces amount to crimes against humanity, and potential other
\nserious international crimes.<\/p>\n

Since the start of the crackdown against the peaceful protesters, at least 500 lives have
\nbeen taken and more than 2500 individuals have been arbitrarily arrested including
\nmembers of the NLD, legislators, officials from the Election commission, political
\nactivists, civil society members, civil servants, journalists, teachers, and so on. We are
\nconcerned that the numbers keep on increasing everyday.<\/p>\n

As of 5pm Myanmar time on 30 March 2021, Assistance Association for Political
\nPrisoners (AAPP) Burma has documented 510 people killed during the coup, 2574
\npeople were detained since 1 February 2021.<\/p>\n

Amongst those detained include State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and
\nPresident U Win Myint who are facing trumped up charges, according to the Assistance
\nAssociation for Political Prisoners (AAPP) report. No one should be charged for
\nexercising their peaceful freedom of expression and their fundamental rights. To solve
\nthe current political crisis, we strongly call on the military council to relinquish their
\npower, respect democracy, to step down and to provide political power to the legitimate
\ncivilian government and to pursue a long-term peaceful political solution for a genuine
\nfederal union in Myanmar.<\/p>\n

Therefore, we, the Myanmar ethnic refugees in Malaysia together with the undersigned
\nMalaysian civil society organizations, strongly urge the Myanmar Embassy in Malaysia
\nto take the following actions immediately.
\nTo condemn the military coup and issue a public statement on cutting off ties with
\nthe illegal military council;<\/p>\n