Open Letter from Ethnic Karen to President Biden and President Macron to Sanction Gas Revenue

Open Letter from Ethnic Karen to President Biden and President Macron to Sanction Gas Revenue, 67 Organizations from 17 Countries

Re: Ethnic Karen Communities Worldwide Calling to Sanction Gas Revenue to the Burmese military.

Dear President Biden and President Macron,

We are writing to you on behalf of ethnic Karen communities worldwide to call on you to sanction gas revenue to the Burmese military.

We are extremely disappointed that almost a year on from the attempted military coup, you are still allowing companies from America and France to pay gas revenue to the Burmese military. The hundreds of millions of dollars provided to the Burmese military by companies from your countries are being used to buy the bombs and bullets being used against our people. They are funding war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Since the military coup, more than 300,000 people have been forced to flee their homes because of attacks and threats by the Burmese military. The majority of these people are from ethnic states, including around 85,000 in Karen State.

We welcome the sanctions introduced by the USA and European Union (EU) so far. It is vital that you continue with regular rounds of new sanctions to systematically cut revenue to the military. However, failing to take action on one of the single biggest sources of revenue to the military is neither an effective or credible policy option.

As long as American and French companies continue to fund the military, your countries are complicit in the human rights violations committed by the Burmese military. You are helping to facilitate the purchase of military equipment by providing the funds required to do so.

You impose arms embargoes but at the same time provide the Burmese military with money which they can purchase arms from Russia, China, India and other countries. This makes absolutely no sense. A wide range of proposals have been put forward by different civil society organisations for ways in which gas revenue can be stopped. Whatever the challenges, you must find a way to impose sanctions to stop gas revenue reaching the military. The price of your inaction and indecision is being paid for with the lives and suffering of our people.

It is not a credible option to continue to condemn airstrikes, massacres and other human rights violations which your companies have helped to fund.

For decades your countries largely stood by, failing to hold the military to account for its violations of international law, including war crimes and crimes against humanity against Karen people. You helped create a sense of impunity which led the military to believe it can keep committing these human rights violations, encouraging more attacks and the military coup.

Please do not let us down again now. What we ask is very little. It will have no significant impact on your own country’s economies. We simply want you to stop funding our oppressor. Stop funding human rights violations. Sanction gas revenue now.

Your sincerely,

1. International Karen Organisation

2. European Karen Network

3. Albany Karen Community, USA

4. Australia Karen Organisation

5. Ayeyawaddy Karen Youth, Burma

6. Calgary Karen Community Association, Canada

7. California Karen Youth Connection, USA

8. Denmark Karen Organization

9. Dooplaya Karen Community Development Group, Burma

10. Edmonton Karen Community Youth Organization, Canada

11. Finland Karen Culture Association

12. IKO Women Department

13. Karen American Association of Wisconsin, USA

14. Karen Association of Huron, SD, USA

15. Karen Community Association UK

16. Karen Community in Norway

17. Karen Community in The Netherlands

18. Karen Community Korea

19. Karen Community of Akron, OH, USA

20. Karen Community of Canada

21. Karen Community of Czech Republic

22. Karen Community of Finland

23. Karen Community of Hamilton, Canada

24. Karen Community of Iowa, USA

25. Karen Community of Ireland

26. Karen Community of Israel

27. Karen Community of Kansas City (KS & MO), USA

28. Karen Community of Kitchener & Waterloo, Canada

29. Karen Community of Leamington, Canada

30. Karen Community of Lethbridge, Canada

31. Karen Community of London, Canada

32. Karen community of Minnesota, USA

33. Karen Community of North Carolina, USA

34. Karen Community in Norway

35. Karen Community of Ottawa, Canada

36. Karen Community of Regina, Canada

37. Karen Community of Saskatoon, Canada

38. Karen community of Syracuse, USA

39. Karen Community of Thunderbay, Canada

40. Karen Community of Toronto, Canada

41. Karen Community of Windsor, Canada

42. Karen Community of Winnipeg, Canada

43. Karen Community Society of British Columbia, Canada

44. Karen Environmental and Social Action Network, Burma/Thailand

45. Karen Finland Culture Association, Finland

46. Karen Human Rights Group, Burma

47. Karen Organization of America, USA

48. Karen Organization of Illinois, USA

49. Karen Organization of San Diego, USA

50. Karen Peace Support Network, Burma

51. Karen Student Network Group, Burma/Thailand

52. Karen Swedish Community

53. Karen Teacher Working Group, Burma/Thailand

54. Karen Thai Group, Thailand

55. Karen Women’s Organization, Burma

56. Karen Youth – Rangoon, Burma

57. Karen Youth Education Pathways, USA

58. Karen Youth Network, Burma

59. Karen Youth of Norway

60. Karen Youth Organization, Burma

61. Karen Youth UK

62. KNU Concerned Group, Burma

63. Korea Karen Organization

64. Korea Karen Youth Organization

65. New Zealand Karen Association

66. Oversea Karen Organization Japan

67. Utica Karen Community, USA