For Immediate Release: May 1, 2021
Contact: Michelle Loo | michelle@apalanet.org
Washington, DC - May Day or International Workers Day is celebrated throughout the world. The workers of Myanmar courageously took to the streets to protest the military junta that staged a coup on February 1, 2021.
The Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO, stands in solidarity with the workers of Myanmar, and calls on the President Joseph Biden Administration to immediately impose sanctions against the military junta of Myanmar, including the Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise.
The international community has condemned the Myanmar military’s coup which overthrew the democratically elected government leaders of the National League for Democracy (NLD), including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. We need to increase economic pressure on the military junta by cutting off the funding source that is being used to kill and attack the people of Myanmar.
The Myanmar people, organized by unions and students, have resisted the military’s take-over and have organized street protests, strikes, and international campaigns, known as the Civil Disobedience Movement. The military and police have responded to protests with violence, including using war-grade weapons and firing live ammunition into crowds. Over 750 people have been killed, with 4,484 arrested since February 1, 2021.
Over 10 unionists have been killed and over 80 unionists have been arrested or have been issued warrants, and labor leaders are now in hiding as they continue to lead the resistance movement from underground locations within Myanmar.
There are nearly 200,000 Burmese Americans residing in the United States. The Burmese American community is deeply concerned about the human rights violations in Myanmar, and are calling for the restoration of democracy.
APALA Organizing and Civic Engagement Fellow and Michigan Chapter member Dim Mang states, "As a Chin person, I see the military’s actions as one in a long line of oppression and blatant overturning of the will of the people of Burma. This is an issue of ethnic solidarity as well, because though the detained NLD members and other activists should be released, we must not forget about the decades of armed conflict and human rights abuses before this coup - a lot of which the NLD abetted as well. As an organizer based in the United States, this issue really does fall into a bigger picture of global solidarity against militarization and in advocacy of self-determination."
Support the movement by donating to this strike fund and learn more by checking out this toolkit created by Dim.
Contact: Michelle Loo | michelle@apalanet.org
Washington, DC - May Day or International Workers Day is celebrated throughout the world. The workers of Myanmar courageously took to the streets to protest the military junta that staged a coup on February 1, 2021.
The Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO, stands in solidarity with the workers of Myanmar, and calls on the President Joseph Biden Administration to immediately impose sanctions against the military junta of Myanmar, including the Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise.
The international community has condemned the Myanmar military’s coup which overthrew the democratically elected government leaders of the National League for Democracy (NLD), including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. We need to increase economic pressure on the military junta by cutting off the funding source that is being used to kill and attack the people of Myanmar.
The Myanmar people, organized by unions and students, have resisted the military’s take-over and have organized street protests, strikes, and international campaigns, known as the Civil Disobedience Movement. The military and police have responded to protests with violence, including using war-grade weapons and firing live ammunition into crowds. Over 750 people have been killed, with 4,484 arrested since February 1, 2021.
Over 10 unionists have been killed and over 80 unionists have been arrested or have been issued warrants, and labor leaders are now in hiding as they continue to lead the resistance movement from underground locations within Myanmar.
There are nearly 200,000 Burmese Americans residing in the United States. The Burmese American community is deeply concerned about the human rights violations in Myanmar, and are calling for the restoration of democracy.
APALA Organizing and Civic Engagement Fellow and Michigan Chapter member Dim Mang states, "As a Chin person, I see the military’s actions as one in a long line of oppression and blatant overturning of the will of the people of Burma. This is an issue of ethnic solidarity as well, because though the detained NLD members and other activists should be released, we must not forget about the decades of armed conflict and human rights abuses before this coup - a lot of which the NLD abetted as well. As an organizer based in the United States, this issue really does fall into a bigger picture of global solidarity against militarization and in advocacy of self-determination."
Support the movement by donating to this strike fund and learn more by checking out this toolkit created by Dim.
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