Civil society asks Islamabad to sever diplomatic ties with Myanmar’s military regime

Condemning the military’s takeover in Myanmar last week and showing solidarity with the resulting anti-coup protests, a group of representatives from various civil society and labour organisations in Karachi on Tuesday demanded of the Pakistan government to cut off all diplomatic relationships with the military’s government by recalling the Pakistani ambassador from Yangon and closing down its embassy in Islamabad.

In a joint statement, Karamat Ali, executive director, Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (PILER); Habibuddin Junaidi of the Peoples Labour Bureau; Nasir Mansoor from the National Trade Union Federation, Pakistan; Mahnaz Rahman of the Aurat Foundation; Farhat Parveen from NOW Communities; Zehra Khan of the Home-based Women Workers Federation; Liaquat Sahi from the Democratic Workers Unions of State Bank of Pakistan; Saeed Baloch from the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), and others said that there were no reasons for the military takeover in Myanmar because the democratic government was working.

After the general elections last year, the new assembly was to take the oath, but the military once again took over, they added. They said that due to prolonged military rule, the common Burmese people suffered social, economic and political problems.

“The world should put pressure on the Burmese rulers to hand over rule to public representatives. Many Burmese people have to take refuge in neighbouring countries like Bangladesh and Nepal, where they live in miserable conditions,” the statement said.

They expressed solidarity with the people, who were protesting against the Military takeover despite strict restrictions imposed by the rulers, including a ban on the use of the Internet. They demanded that all the arrested political leaders, including Aung San Suu Kyi, be released and the fundamental rights of people restored. They also appealed to the United Nations to take action against the military rulers and cancel its UN membership of the country.