Dear Minister Harris,

I am writing to you to request that the European Union urgently brings in a new round of targeted sanctions on the supply of aviation fuel to Burma’s military junta.

The military junta’s relentless aerial bombardment of civilians and vulnerable populations is devastating communities, causing deaths and injuries, and is destroying homes, villages, medical clinics, schools, and places of worship. Air raids and indiscriminate shelling is steadily increasing and has resulted in the displacement of more than 2.6 million people according to the UNOCHA’s most recent report. This is in addition to those populations displaced, prior to the military’s attempted coup, in ethnic regions and neighbouring countries such as Thailand and Bangladesh. Protracted displacement has meant that people cannot grow their crops, thus risking shortage of food supplies for conflict-affected populations. Displaced people have acute needs for shelter, medicines and other essentials. According to UNOCHA, more than 19.9 million people are in need of humanitarian aid.

The junta are increasingly relying on airpower where it cannot defeat the resistance forces during ground battles. Targeted sanctions on the supply of aviation fuel must be a priority as it is the single most effective action that can be taken to stop the human rights violations, the mass displacement, the destruction of property and the escalating humanitarian crisis.

The measures taken by the EU to date in sanctioning leaders of the military junta, their cronies and their families as well as targeting some military-controlled companies are very welcome. However, more needs to be done and needs to be done urgently. In May 2023, the European Parliament passed a resolution calling on the EU to “…introduce additional targeted sanctions against the military and its business interests, including sanctions on aviation fuel,… and to rapidly enforce their implementation…”. On 4th April 2024, the UN Human Rights Council adopted a resolution on Burma/Myanmar which calls for all states to “refrain, in accordance with applicable national procedures and international norms and standards, from the export, sale or transfer of jet fuel”. G7 Foreign Ministers and the EU High Representative called on States to cease the flow of aviation fuel to Burma.

The military’s aircraft cannot operate without aviation fuel and without fuel, they cannot bomb civilians. The courageous people of Burma continue to resist military rule and are calling for such targeted sanctions on aviation fuel.

This is why I call on Ireland and the EU to urgently sanction any individual or entity involved in the supply of aviation fuel to Burma’s military junta.

Yours,

[Your Name]