India people’s solidarity is the key to Myanmar’s democracy movement: Myanmar civil society’s open letter to India

Members of Myanmar civil society have written a letter to India demanding their intervention in the political and economic crisis that have rendered the neighbouring country in a disposed state, while the military rule continues to wreak humanitarian injustices in the country.

In a strongly worded letter, the members of the civil society mentions how India being a democratic country, is not standing up for Myanmar’s people in their struggle for democracy. They have accused India of providing arms and political legitimacy to Myanmar’s fascist military regime. “India’s security forces have also engaged in increased arrests of members of Myanmar’s democratic forces,” mentioned in the letter. 

“Furthermore, while many other democratic countries have imposed economic sanctions on Myanmar’s military, the Government of India continues to operate its business projects inside Myanmar in collaboration with the military regime enabling the flow of blood money to them,” as mentioned in the communiqué.

In another accusation, the members of the civil organizations also blame India of supporting the treacherous and dictatorial rule of the Myanmar military junta. “In April 2022, India’s new ambassador Shri Vinay Kumar, who was appointed in November 2021, said that India would support an collaborate with the Myanmar junta’s election commission for the next election to be held in Myanmar under the control of criminal Myanmar fascist military that has been killing civilians and engaged in mass arson attacks daily,” as indicated in the open letter.

Slamming India for openly supporting the perpetrators of international crimes and blatantly ignoring the sufferings of the Myanmar people, the civil society members from Myanmar writes in their open letter to India, “We the people of Myanmar, strongly believe that India people’s solidarity is the key to Myanmar’s democracy movement and as we maintain good faith in people-to-people collaboration, we have created and operated India for Myanmar campaign to acquire support from the people of India. Therefore, we respectfully urge civil society organizations and political parties of the people of India to take the following actions to support the Myanmar people: Show and express your support for democracy and the people of Myanmar, pressure the Government of India to stop providing political legitimacy and arms to Myanmar’s fascist military, pressure the Government of India to impose economic sanctions on Myanmar’s military, help and support displaced people and refugees from Myanmar and pressure the Government of India to provide humanitarian assistance to them.”

Since February 2021, Myanmar’s democracy collapsed following the military seizing power after detaining Aung San Suu Kyi and other democratically elected leaders in a coup. Since then, the Myanmar military has been condemned by international organizations, civil societies across the globe, intellectuals, political figures, governments of terrorizing its people to instill fear as a strategy for its rule.
Many reports of rape, torture, civilian killings, have been reported with many cruel and oppressive tactics, as a weapon to contain and control the people who resist military rule in favor of democracy, have rocked India’s neighbouring country.