We, Myanmar people and citizens from across the world, are deeply horrified by the unrest that is rapidly unfolding and escalating in Myanmar.

As of Feb 14, 2021, the military has once again blacked out the entirety of the country in an internet shutdown from 1am to 9am. Armored trucks have descended on the financial capital of Yangon, numbering in the hundreds. Live rounds of shooting have begun in the district of Myitkyina, with innocent civilians fleeing for their lives, and several fires have been started, including from a major flare gun in Thanlyin, Star City, Yangon. Just like during the violent crackdowns in Myanmar of 1988, the military are deliberately inciting extreme chaos and fear to justify their unlawful takeover.

These acts of blatant violence and abuse of power follow a series of war crimes and crimes against humanity across the past two weeks, since the staging of the military coup on Feb 1, 2021. During these weeks, the military have cracked down on innocent protestors using brute force, including water cannons, tear gas, rubber bullets and live rounds of ammunition, killing a 19-year old bystander and injuring many more. The military have also released over 20,000 high-security prisoners (ex-murderers and extremists) and have gone as far as to drug and bribe them to incite chaos across various neighborhoods in Yangon, including arson, raids, burglaries and killings. There are further plans to use these ex-convicts as bait, while military personnel dressed as civilians chase and murder them. Drones can be seen poised to capture the violence from above, in an effort, again by the military, to show evidence of “chaos” and “violence by civilians” to justify their unlawful takeover.  

Furthermore, night raids have been continuing, with police continuing to arrest innocent civilians in the middle of the night. The military have also announced the revoking of several key security & privacy laws and basic rights, allowing now for the arrest of people without warrants, the keeping of people in imprisonment beyond 24 hours without cause, among others. The military have also proposed a draconian cyber law to be in effect in short time, allowing for the surveillance of all citizens, suppressing all freedom of speech and cutting Myanmar’s communication from the rest of the world. 

This is merely the beginning of the horror that will continue to unfold, if the international community does not step in immediately. We, the citizens of the world, cringe with terror watching this situation unfold before our eyes, and empathize with all of the people in Myanmar fighting through this tragic situation. It is with great urgency and desperation, that we call upon the United Nations and the United Nations Security Council to convene immediately to take the necessary steps to deploy United Nations Peacekeepers on ground in Myanmar. The military of Myanmar are ruthless and sanctions and condemnations from the international community alone will not stop them from continuing these horrific acts of violence and suppression of the basic human rights of Myanmar people.

Tens of millions of Myanmar people lay awake every night fearing for their lives and uncertain of the horrors that will befall them in the following days. Please hear their plight and intervene immediately to save Myanmar.