European Karen Community Pressures EU to Impose Tougher Sanctions on Burma’s Military Regime

The EKN wants the EU to impose sanctions on arms and the military’s sources of revenue.

“We demand that the European Union urgently enact new sanctions targeting arms brokers and sources of funding for Myanmar’s military. The European Union must identify and sanction the mechanism that generates and supports income for Myanmar’s military, including fuel and state-owned enterprises,” said Nan Kyi Aye, chairman of the European Karen Network, in a statement released on 22 September 2022.

The EKN said it’s disappointed at the slowness of the European Union’s response to the current Myanmar crisis. It noted the UK, United States, and Canada have regularly introduced tougher sanctions, the European Union has not put in any new sanctions since February 2022.

Nan Helen Bhu Htoo, co-chairperson of EKN, said the military council is killing people, bombing, and carrying out arbitrary arrests daily. Although the EU has policies to help stop military equipment and sources of income going to the military appointed, State Administration Council (SAC), EU policy hasn’t been enforced.

“Our Karen ethnicity and Myanmar citizens sacrificed their lives and freedoms for the liberation of our country. The European Union (EU) or its member states should not provide arms and weapons to the Myanmar military, but instead help us stop the equipment and income as much as possible.”

Since the Burma military staged its coup on 1st February 2021, the people of Myanmar, including the Karen, have resisted the military’s takeover of the country’s political structure.

In Karen State, the Burma Army has used jets and long-range launchers bought during the reform period to attack villages, schools and medical centers have also been targeted.

Nan Kyi Aye told Karen News the EU needs to do more, and EKN will keep pressuring until they take more action.

“We don’t know the extent the EU will heed our call for action, but we have the responsibility to demand and campaign for it. Our statement highlights that the EU’s actions and pressure on Myanmar is insufficient and should be in line with the UK, US, and Canada – they have taken the initiative to severely punish Myanmar.”

Since the coup, more than 370,000 people have been forced to flee their homes in Karen State. Most of them are hiding in the jungle as displaced people. Nationwide more than one million people have become homeless. In light of the massive humanitarian crisis caused by the military coup leaders the European Union is failing to act on human rights issues.

The European Karen Network (EKN) is a social organization created with the aim of increasing awareness of the situation in Myanmar, including Karen State, according to their social media profile.