Time to Act: Enforcing the Burma Act is a matter of life and death

Two years after the Burma Act of 2022 was passed, the promises made to Myanmar’s people remain tragically unfulfilled. The act, which aims to support democracy, human rights, and humanitarian assistance in Myanmar while also imposing sanctions on the junta, was welcomed by the international community. But little has been done to implement the act, even as atrocities continue to mount.On December 10th—the same day I received the US State Department Global Human Rights Defenders Award—an airstrike killed an entire family of four, including a child, as they slept in a village in western Myanmar’s Chin State. This is not an isolated tragedy. Over 100 churches in Chin State have been destroyed, and relentless airstrikes and violence have left thousands dead since the 2021 coup. According to our research, in the last 40 days alone, more than 1,000 bombs have been dropped in airstrikes across the state, devastating communities and forcing thousands to flee their homes.Nationwide, Myanmar is in crisis.According to the United Nations, more than 3.5 million people have been internally displaced, and at least 18 million are in urgent need of humanitarian aid. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) reports that at least 6,000 civilians have been killed since the coup. The destruction is widespread, but the world remains largely silent. My home of Chin State was the first to be violently attacked after the military takeover. The junta believed it was the weakest link in the emerging armed resistance movement budding across the country. In response, they quickly and decisively crushed the civil and armed opposition across the state. The junta believed this harsh and violent clampdown would send a message to the rest of the country.As the army razed villages, destroying everything in their path, Chin Human Rights Organization (CHRO) sent an urgent alert to the UK government, outlining our fears and providing evidence of large military convoys, which included units involved in the genocide against the Rohingya in 2017. The ensuing conversation with UK officials led the British government to convince members of the UN Security Council to convene a special session in early November, 2021. Soon after, my hometown of Thantlang was attacked.The house where I grew up was burned down, and my parents, along with over 10,000 other residents, were forced to flee for their lives. It was painful to watch our house set ablaze in real time, documented by drones we had dispatched to record the destruction. My parents have lived as internally displaced persons (IDPs) in a nearby village ever since. And like so many others, they are unable to access the healthcare services they need as they age.Nearly four years later, the regime has effectively lost control of the entire state. Anti-junta forces have liberated huge swathes of territory. Meanwhile, across the border in India’s Mizoram State, at least 100,000 Chin refugees have sought safety, scattered across towns, villages, and makeshift camps. Despite the passage of the Burma Act, there has been no tangible action on the ground. The US response has been passive.At the same time, China continues to back the military, deepening its influence and playing a direct role in pushing Myanmar’s future further away from democracy. Today, the people of Myanmar are crying out for help. To address these calls, the US must urgently enforce the Burma Act—by imposing effective sanctions, providing cross-border aid from Thailand and India, and advocating for a global arms embargo at the United Nations. With my own eyes, I’ve personally witnessed the human toll of this conflict. Since the military coup of 2021, my country has been plunged into unimaginable suffering. The grief and loss are beyond words. But amid this horror, there has been resilience. There has been resistance. And there has been the unwavering commitment of those who refuse to let these atrocities be forgotten.Today, I am reminded of my colleagues—those who work day and night to document the crimes of the junta. These are ordinary civilians who have become extraordinary defenders of truth. They venture into dangerous areas, speak with survivors, collect evidence of war crimes and human rights violations, all at great personal risk. Many live in constant fear of retaliation, yet they press on.It is emotionally and psychologically grueling. The stories we hear, the images we capture, stay with us long after our interviews are done. But we owe it to the victims to tell their stories and to ensure the world knows what is happening in Myanmar.For nearly 30 years, Chin Human Rights Organization has been at the forefront of protecting and promoting the rights of the Chin people. From operating surreptitiously in the borderlands, to becoming the only locally-led human rights organisation from Myanmar with United Nations ECOSOC Special Consultative Status, our mission has remained the same: to shine a light on the darkest corners of oppression and to hold perpetrators accountable.The Human Rights Defenders Award is a recognition of that work—three decades of relentless dedication to justice and human dignity. A vision of a new federal union where the rights of all ethnic minorities are respected, and the rule of law prevails. But this vision will only become a reality when those responsible for the atrocities are brought to justice.CHRO has documented atrocities to hold the junta accountable. Universal Jurisdiction cases in Indonesia and the Philippines offer a path to justice, but we need the full support of the US government to expand these efforts. In my recent meetings with officials at the White House, I emphasised the important need for action. The Biden administration—and the incoming Trump administration—must stand with us by fully implementing the Burma Act, cutting off the military’s resources, and ensuring humanitarian aid reaches civilians. The people of Myanmar have endured unimaginable suffering for far too long. To pull back from further tragedy, the US must act now before Myanmar becomes another forgotten crisis.– Salai Mang Hre Lian is the Program Manager of the Chin Human Rights Organization and a recipient of the US State Department Global Human Rights Defenders Award 2024.

Time to Act: Enforcing the Burma Act is a matter of life and death

“There has been resilience. There has been resistance. And there has been the unwavering commitment of those who refuse to let these atrocities be forgotten.”

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