Brutal violence against resisters in Myanmar continues to claim more lives every day, with the known death toll over 1,580 and at least 8,800 people arbitrarily detained. Despite weeks of killings since the February 2021 military coup, the nationwide civil disobedience movement is ongoing. And they need our help.
From petitions to a GoFundMe, below are five quick and easy ways to take direct action to support the brave people in Myanmar who are risking and losing their lives to save their democracy.
#1 - Contribute
To stand in solidarity with the resisters, you can financially support them! Protesters and their families are experiencing significant financial hardship in the face of deaths, injuries, and a largely halted economy. No contribution is too small and it will directly support the injured, the families whose loved ones have been killed, bail funds, and other essential and urgent needs. Donate any amount here:
If you are unable to donate, please still share the GoFundMe, spread the word on what is happening in Myanmar, and take these other quick actions below...
#2 - Sign the Easiest Letters to Senators
These 30 second, 1-click letters to your senators ask them to support S Res 105 that calls for additional sanctions that target the military junta.
S Res 105 is currently in the Committee on Foreign Relations, so pressuring the Chairperson Bob Menendez (NJ Senator) can also help! Here is his contact on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. You can call and write his offices at these numbers and addresses.
#3 - Sign and Spread Petitions
Petition to the UN to send in Peacekeepers to help stop the brutality against peaceful protesters.
Petition to several world leaders to assist those against the coup in Myanmar.
Petition to the International Crimes Court to hold the leader of the Military Coup, General Min Aung Hlaing, accountable.
Petition #1 and Petition #2 to Beyonce to use her vast platform to speak out since she has a collection with the Adidas brand. Factory workers in Myanmar who are creating Adidas garments are being targeted and intimidated when they protest the coup. Here is more information about what is happening to the garment workers and a New York Times article about it. You can also tag Beyonce at @beyonce in posts on Instagram and Twitter.
#4 - Spread the Word and Use Hashtags
Please, please, please spread the word on what is happening in Myanmar! The more that masses of people are talking about the coup, the more pressure international leaders and organizations will feel pressure to take action.
Some top hashtags to use as you share and post on social media are:
#Myanmar #SaveMyanmar #WhatsHappeningInMyanmar #RespectOurVotes #HearTheVoiceofMyanmar #AgainstMyanmarMilitaryCoup
#5 - Tag Key Leaders and Brands
If we are going to be making posts and spreading the word, we might as well tag those with power and keep encouraging them to act!
Brands that Manufacture in Myanmar:
Many brands make a profit off of the labor of people in Myanmar. Female union leaders are emerging at the forefront of several anti-coup protests (and being targeted because of it) and have been asking global brands to take their side. Since international brands are highly sensitized to scrutiny of industry supply chains, calling on them to #putyourmouthwhereyourmoneyis can be effective in getting them to take action and use their platforms (to millions of followers) to raise global awareness and outrage about the coup.
Here are a few articles about this: NY Times, NY Post, and S&P Global.
So, tag these brands in your posts, respond to their stories asking them what they are doing to help protesters, etc!
Adidas
Samsonite
Twitter @MySamsonite
Instagram @mysamsonite
Facebook @Samsoniteusa
Hilton (1 of their 3 hotels in Myanmar is on land leased by the military in Rakhine State)
Twitter @HiltonNewsroom
Instagram @hiltonnewsroom
Facebook @hiltonnewsroom
Embassies and Ambassadors:
António Guterres, UN Secretary-General - @antonioguterres
US Embassy in Myanmar - Twitter @USEmbassyBurma and Facebook @usembassy.rangoon
UK Embassy in Myanmar - Twitter @ukinmyanmar and Facebook @ukinmyanmar
China and India are powerhouse neighbors to Myanmar and are both in the UN Security Council. Here are ambassadors for both countries on social media:
T S Tirumurti, Ambassador of India to UN - @ambtstirumurti and @indiaUNNewYork
Zhang Jun, China’s Ambassador to UN - @ChinaAmbUN
United Nations Association of the US:
Micah Spangler, Director of Advocacy and Humanitarian Affairs at UNA-USA - Twitter @micahspangler
Peter Yeo, Senior Vice President of the UN Foundation - Twitter @yoyoyeo2
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations:
ASEAN has not done anything to help Myanmar protesters and only a few nations in ASEAN have condemned the coup. You can at them on Twitter @asean, Instagram @asean, Facebook @aseansecretariat, or email them at public@asean.org.
The organization has several aims and here are a couple to call them on:
Accelerate the economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region through joint endeavours in the spirit of equality and partnership in order to strengthen the foundation for a prosperous and peaceful community of Southeast Asian Nations
Promote regional peace and stability through abiding respect for justice and the rule of law in the relationship among countries of the region and adherence to the principles of the United Nations Charter
Other Key US Leaders:
President Joe Biden
Instagram @POTUS
Email message here
Vice President Kamala Harris
Twitter @VP and @kamalaharris
Instagram @VP
Email message here
Bob Menendez, New Jersey Senator and Chairperson for the US Committee on Foreign Relations
D.C. Office (202) 224-4744
Thank you so much for caring about what is happening in Myanmar and for taking action! I will update these resources as I find new avenues to support the people of Myanmar. Please keep spreading the word and encouraging your community to take action, too.