On May 28, 25 political parties in Myanmar jointly issued a statement calling for the reversal of international sanctions that they claim are harming the public.
The statement highlights that in Myanmar, the government, responsible organizations, and citizens striving for peace and stability are making concerted efforts, in accordance with the law, to resolve the internal conflicts that have arisen since the 2020 multi-party democratic general elections. However, it notes that numerous innocent civilians have been killed, private properties destroyed, and essential social and economic infrastructures built with public funds damaged by terrorist groups created by extremist political actors. The future of the younger generation has also been jeopardized.
As a result of these events, basic livelihoods have deteriorated, leading to an increase in crimes such as robbery, kidnapping, arson, intimidation, and other acts of violence.
While the Myanmar government is working to resolve internal conflicts domestically, some powerful countries and global organizations have imposed sanctions that indirectly or directly support certain factions. The statement asserts that global responsibility, such as supporting the peace and stability of a country in a positive manner and offering humanitarian support impartially, should be upheld by these countries and groups. Instead, they have adopted selective and partial measures by imposing sanctions to create political and economic crises, a method described as the unsuccessful approach of "neo-colonialism."
The statement examines sanctions on Myanmar from February 11, 2021, to January 30, 2024, noting that they include blocking private assets, cutting off support links with the government, obstructing socio-economic activities, restricting financial transfers, limiting and prohibiting exports, travel restrictions, suspending international engagements, isolating the country, and banning participation in global intellectual property meetings, among other intensified measures.
These sanctions explicitly target and restrict a nation's sovereignty, development, stability, and the peaceful and prosperous future of its entire population. The statement argues that these actions create conditions of discrimination and partiality, clearly violating the principles stated in Article 7 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which asserts equal protection against discrimination. It also contends that these actions violate principles outlined in the United Nations Charter, specifically Article 2, Section 1, which states, "The Organization is based on the principle of the sovereign equality of all its Members," and Section 4, which states, "All Members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state."
The statement concludes that although sanctions are claimed to be directed at the Myanmar government, they adversely affect the entire population, causing widespread suffering and forcing them into a cycle of hardship. Additionally, these sanctions hinder the progress of the five-step roadmap being implemented by the state and obstruct the conditions necessary for the emergence of a free and fair election.
Therefore, the 25 political parties, including the Union Solidarity and Development Party, strongly urge the revocation of the sanctions imposed on the state as soon as possible and request the international community to provide collective assistance based on the actual impact and conditions. They unanimously and categorically reject, oppose, and condemn any actions of sanctions taken against Myanmar.
