The Situation of IDPs in Myanmar/Burma and Refugees in Neighboring Countries

The latest UNHCR Emergency Update from June 1, 2022 estimates there are now 691,000 people displaced inside the country and 60,000 displaced to neighboring countries since the military coup of February 2021. Factoring in displacement that existed prior to the military coup, there are over 1 million internally displaced and, as of December 31, 2021, and nearly 1 million refugees and asylum seekers from Myanmar/Burma in neighboring countries.

This includes 36,000 displaced within Chin State since the coup. It is also estimated that nearly 40,000 people, mostly Chin, have been displaced to India. At least 70% of those displaced to India are women and children. Although some displaced people returned to Chin State to check their property, the presence of the Tatmadaw and the ongoing destruction of Chin homes has prevented their permanent return.

The Association for Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), a regional grouping of Southeast Asian countries, including Myanmar/Burma, announced in early June a humanitarian assistance plan to assist IDPs within Myanmar/Burma. The plan includes allowing the Burmese military to make decisions about how the aid is distributed to Kayah and Kayin States as well as Magway, Sagaing, and Bago Regions, and excludes Chin State from receiving aid. ASEAN has not yet indicated why Chin State was excluded from the aid, and the Chin State Joint Defense Committee expressed their disappointment, as well as their great need for humanitarian assistance.

Human Rights and Religious Freedom in Myanmar/Burma

The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) provides a daily report in regards to the coup. As of June 28, 2022, AAPP indicated there have been 2,037 people killed and 14,349 people arrested by the military. The military is currently holding 11,286 people of Myanmar/Burma in detention.

The Burmese Military recently announced it will execute four people, including top NLD activists and a former lawmaker from ousted State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi’s party. Various political and military groups within Myanmar/Burma, including the National Unity Consultative Council, ethnic armed organizations, and the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw have spoken out against this. The international community further condemns such actions, including Department of State spokesperson Ned Price who stated, “The United States strongly condemns the Burmese military regime’s reported plans to execute pro-democracy and opposition leaders, exemplifying the regime’s disregard for human rights and the rule of law. We urge the release of all unjustly detained.” The UN further commented, “These death sentences, handed down by an illegitimate court of an illegitimate junta, are a vile attempt at instilling fear amongst the people of Myanmar.”

On May 24, 2022, the Burmese military based in Thantlang town, Chin State burned down the Johnson Memorial Baptist Church (JMBC) located at the Sianginn Sang (Block) in Thantlang, Chin State in Burma.  CAM previously noted the firing of this church in September 2021 in an earlier report. JMBC is the second largest church in Thantlang with eight pastors and approximately 2,800 members. It has been confirmed that all members of JMBC have been displaced internally or have taken refuge in Mizoram State, India. In early June, CAM released a statement condemning the arson attack.

On June 9, 2022, the Burmese military based in Thantlang town, Chin State in Burma burned the Thantlang Baptist Church (TBC) at the Biakinn Block in Thantlang town around 4:30pm. TBC is the largest church in Thantlang with eight pastors and over 3,000 members. CAM released a statement condemning this horrific attack.

On June 23, 2022, at approximately 5:30pm in Myanmar/Burma, the Burmese military burned the Believers Church in Thantlang Town. Credible sources who will remain anonymous due to security reasons confirmed the incident with CAM. As has been previously reported, the entire population of Thantlang has been displaced, some taking refuge in India’s Mizoram State. This is the 29th time that the Tatmadaw has employed arson attacks in Thantlang Town, which now includes over 1,300 residences and 12 churches. CAM released a statement condemning the actions.  

On June 2, 2022, the State Department released its 2021 Report on International Religious Freedom for Burma. The report outlines the historic and current status of religious freedom in Myanmar society and at the government level.

The US urged ASEAN members to engage with Myanmar’s “shadow civilian government”, the National Unity Government (NUG), as a critical way to move the political crisis forward. Since the coup of February 2021, ASEAN members have only engaged with the Burmese military. However, the Burmese military’s foreign minister has been excluded from the past four international meetings with ASEAN members, including its most recent international meeting. This is considered a “blow” to the regime as they seek international recognition as the legitimate government.

On June 12, 2022, Senior U.S. diplomat, Derek Chollet, the State Department counsellor, stated that the Burmese military should restore democracy, especially because they likely will not be able to defeat the rebel forces across the country. Furthermore, in Myanmar/Burma and internationally, Burmese military is becoming increasingly isolated. The Burmese military did not respond to these statements.

On June 13, 2022, Noeleen Heyzer, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General on Myanmar underscored the severity of displacement in the country: over one million IDPs are displaced around the country and 14.4 million people, one-quarter of the entire population, require humanitarian assistance.  She reiterated, “the political crisis unleashed on 1 February 2021 has opened new frontlines that had long been at peace.”

Also on June 13, 2022, Tom Andrews, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, further underscored the gravity of the situation in Myanmar in a UN Human Rights Council Conference Room Paper stating, “The junta’s relentless attacks on children underscore the generals’ depravity and willingness to inflict immense suffering on innocent victims.” He further pressed the international community to take further actions, stating, “The international community’s approach to the coup and the junta’s atrocities has failed. States must take immediate coordinated action…”

Join CAM’s efforts in advocacy by writing a letter to your Senators asking them to sponsor the Burma Act of 2021 as amended: 

Please support the BURMA Act of 2021 by becoming a co-sponsor to the bill. This would help restore the democratically elected government of Burma. It would establish an inclusive political dialogue in Burma, which would be a step toward establishing a federal democratic union.

Please also consider the following amendments to make the Burma Act of 2021 more relevant to the current situation on the ground in Burma:

1- Establish A Federal Democratic Union of Burma
It is important that the Act mention “federal democratic union,” not just democracy. The political crisis in the union of Burma is not only about promoting democracy or human rights. For over a half a century, the Burmese military regimes have been persecuting the ethnic nationalities and the religious minorities. Resolving the political crisis in Burma is about respecting minority rights and autonomy. That is what the ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) have been fighting for all these years. A “federal democratic union” would help ensure those rights are safeguarded. NUG’s duties include “establishing a federal democratic union” (see building a federal democratic union” under the Duties of NUG ( https://gov.nugmyanmar.org/about-nug/).

It is important that the bill restores civilian governance and ensures strong oversight over the military, but it should also mention the importance of establishing a federal democratic union that safeguards full autonomy for the internal administration of states or regions.

2- Abolish the 2008 Constitution
The Act should clearly mention abolishing the 2008 Constitution rather than reforming it (see NUG’s duties to abolish the 2008 Constitution). The ethnic political organizations and ethnic armed organizations have the same goal to abolish it.

3- Do Not Advocate for a Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement
The Act should also not advocate for the implementation of the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA). It ceased being a just and viable instrument for maintaining peace when the military illegally took power on February 1, 2021. If included in the Act, many ethnic political organizations and ethnic armed organizations will strongly oppose it. The Act should instead advocate an inclusive peace process that would lead to establishing a federal democratic union.

4- Include engagement with Malaysia and India
Both Malaysia and India should be included in the bill because they both have a large stake in the return of refugees. According to UNHCR in Malaysia, there are 154,860 refugees from Burma, of which 102,990 are Rohingyas (https://www.unhcr.org/en-us/figures-at-a-glance-in-malaysia.html, CAM’s Report, September 2020: https://chinmd.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Chin-Refugees-Final-Oct-8-2020.pdf).  According to the Mizoram State government, since February 1, an estimated 20,000 Chins have fled to Mizoram seeking refuge. New Delhi has about 3,000 refugees. Besides hosting a large number of refugees Malaysia is an influential political and economic nation in the region. India likewise is very influential, as a Quad member, and the world’s largest democracy. Both countries can and should play a big role to put pressure on the military regime in Burma to change its behavior.

5- Provide Karenni State and Mon State with humanitarian assistance
The Act should provide Karenni State (also known as Kayah State) and Mon State  with access to humanitarian assistance from UN Agencies and the international community. After the February coup, Karennis have been severely targeted by the military, creating over 82,000 new internally displaced persons. Also, at least eight Catholic churches in Karenni State have been destroyed by the military.

To learn more ways to advocate with CAM, click here.

In 2020 and 2021, CAM produced three reports: After the 2021 Military Coup in Myanmar/Burma: Challenges for Internally Displaced Persons and Refugees; Unsafe: Chins Seeking Refuge in Malaysia; and New Delhi, India; and Unprotected: Chin IDPs in IDPs in Chin and Rakhine States, Myanmar/Burma. CAM continues to advocate that the crimes against the Chin people in Myanmar/Burma are crimes against humanity and should be brought to the IJC and the ICC.

There are a few different ways you can join the signature campaign:

1. Point your phone camera at the QR code below which will take you to the web site to sign up and submit the petition.
2. Go to www.Burmaadvocacygroup.org and follow the instructions to sign up and submit the petition.
3. Facebook:  Burma Advocacy Group.  Use the QR code to sign up and submit the petition.

Chins, virtually all of whom are Christians, are an ethnic nationality from Burma. They became Christians primarily due to the missionary efforts of the American Baptist Churches USA. They are a major recent U.S. refugee group that fled from Burma to neighboring countries to escape ethnic, political and religious persecution by the Burmese military since 1962. In 2001, about 1000 Chin asylees came to the U.S through Guam, resettling largely in Maryland, Indiana, Florida, and Texas. Since 2002, the U.S. has resettled many more Chin refugees coming through Malaysia and India. Chins now number 70,000 across the United States, with about 5,000 making Maryland their home.