On 1 February 2021, the world was alarmed by the coup d’état staged by the military following the landslide victory of the National League for Democracy in the November 2020 elections.
It has been a year since the military junta trampled on Myanmar’s fragile democracy by violently seizing political power. Amounting to crimes against humanity, the systematic atrocities committed by the military junta against civilians in the span of one year have resulted in thousands of deaths (including by torture), tens of thousands of arbitrary arrests, and countless violent attacks that are comparable to the armed clashes and attacks on civilians in Syria.
Shoya Yoshida, ITUC-Asia Pacific General Secretary said, "The horrendous and brutal crackdown on the people of Myanmar has gone for far too long. It is high time for the international community, especially the governments, to take actions that could significantly weaken the regime’s power and put its tyranny to end.
“The international community must not turn a blind eye to the military regime’s violent attacks against the civilians in Myanmar. Let the will of the people prevail!
“This is why we support the call of the trade unions in Myanmar on governments to impose comprehensive economic sanctions against the regime’s State Administration Council. We also call on governments and businesses to cut all ties with the military junta to impair its resources and further destabilise its economic and political power."
He added, “We also demand the UN Security Council to enforce an arms embargo on Myanmar. The people of Myanmar do not deserve to go through another year of violence in their struggle to defend their future and democracy.”
Shoya Yoshida said,
“We are one with the workers and people of Myanmar who, in the past one year, did not budge in the face of the military regime’s atrocious attacks. We salute their undying resistance amidst continued and desperate attempts of the regime to quell their dissent.”
Shoya Yoshida reaffirmed that international solidarity with the people of Myanmar is more crucial than ever. Supporting the people and trade unions of Myanmar can be done in the following ways:
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