Military coup in Burma

Dear Minister Coveney,

I am writing to you to express my deep concern over the horrific escalation of violence used against those protesting against Myanmar’s military and the coup staged on February 1st. 

As you are aware, millions of people across the country have participated in peaceful protests demonstrating their opposition to the coup.  Disproportion violence and terror tactics have been used to repress peaceful demonstrations, culminating in a day of horrific violence, essentially a massacre on March 27th, when at least 114 civilians were killed, including children.  Also, air strikes were used against Karen villages.  Reports say that approximately 24,000 people have been displaced by the violence in northern Karen state.  More than 800 people have been killed in total by the military since the demonstrations began. In addition, as of 23rd of May, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, at least 4,296 people have been arbitrarily detained, charged, or sentenced in relation to their opposition to the coup, with most denied access to legal counsel. 

For many decades, the military junta has been committing human rights abuses against ethnic minorities with impunity.  The military were not sanctioned for the genocide perpetrated against the Rohingya in 2017 when hundreds of thousands of Rohingya were forced to flee to Bangladesh following a campaign of killing and burning of homes in Rakhine state. The international community has largely ignored recommendations to ensure justice and accountability made by a 2018 UN Fact-Finding Mission into human rights violations against the Rohingya and other ethnic communities in Burma/Myanmar.

We ask that Ireland take a strong stance to enact the following:

Support a global arms embargo on Burma/Myanmar. The embargo should be accompanied by robust monitoring and enforcement mechanisms.

Support the referral of Burma/Myanmar to the International Criminal Court so that members of the military can be held accountable for their crimes and violations of international law.

Together with the European Union and the UN Security Council, to deny recognition of the military junta as the legitimate government representing the people of Burma/Myanmar

To put pressure on the military junta to end arbitrary detention and arrests of political leaders and activists and end systematic targeting of journalists, protestors, medical staff and civil society activists. 

Furthermore, as a member of the UN and as a current member of the UN Security Council, we urge Ireland to support the recommendation of the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, Mr. Tom Andrews, by taking the lead in establishing a coalition of nations committed to “taking strong, decisive and coordinated action…for the people of Myanmar”.

I look forward to your response.

Kind regards,
[Your name]

Write to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Simon Coveney
Dept. of Foreign Affairs, Iveagh House, 80 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2 or send by email to (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)