October Quarterly Update 2021
Myanmar Emergency Response
Since June 2021, the political crisis has deteriorated into a humanitarian crisis. As Covid-19 spreads across Myanmar, the junta have sought to hoard medical supplies, block access to vaccinations and deliberately target medical workers. In July, Crisis Action’s Emergency Response, therefore, extended to address the worsening humanitarian crisis as a route to increase pressure for a cessation of hostilities, greater humanitarian access, and an end to arms sales.
Preventing the sale of arms to the Myanmar military
In June, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution for members to prevent the flow of arms into Myanmar, with the resolution adopted by 119 votes, 36 abstentions and only one vote against receiving extensive international media coverage including in the New York Times, BBC, Al Jazeera, Reuters and Financial Times.
Crisis Action played a role informing this outcome by:
- Coordinating a joint statement signed by 205 Burmese, regional and international organisations, among the most diverse coalitions the organisation has supported.
- A UN press virtual conference and a social media toolkit (#notonebulletmore) that led to extensive coverage by international media.
- Convening partner meetings with the UK and US Missions to the UN.
- Supporting a core group of UN Member states who were keen to advance a UN General Assembly (UNGA) resolution condemning the coup. Crisis Action facilitated for partners to ensure that the UNGA resolution included strong language on the need to end arms sales and mobilised over 100 active signatories of the arms embargo statement to actively engage key capitals. Partners targeted the US, France and UK, Canada as well as the Association of Southeast Asian Networks (ASEAN) member states to ensu
re the resolution called “upon all Member States to prevent the flow of arms into Myanmar.” - Following the launch of a UK Foreign Affairs Committee inquiry into the crisis in Myanmar, Crisis Action liaised directly with the Committee and facilitated submissions from twelve partners, including from South Sudan to illustrate the value of UN arms embargoes. The Committee published its report and recommended “the UK draft a United Nations Security Council resolution calling explicitly for an arms embargo on Myanmar.”