Sir, – I am writing to express my concern over last week’s military coup in Myanmar and a crackdown in which police fired live rounds, rubber bullets and tear-gas at peaceful demonstrators.
I worked as humanitarian programme manager with Trócaire in Myanmar for three years, and I saw first hand the brutality and oppression inflicted by the Myanmar military on the civilian population.
I subsequently worked with Save the Children, and was based in Rakhine state during the military’s ethnic cleansing campaign against the Rohingya. At that time the world stood by and did nothing as thousands of Myanmar civilians were murdered, and hundreds of thousands were forced from Myanmar into Bangladesh, where they languish to this day in overcrowded refugee camps.
For several days now, I have been in touch with friends and activists inside Myanmar. They are in fear for their lives and liberty, and many are seeking to flee the country.
I am calling on the Irish Government to act in support of the democratically elected civilian government of Myanmar in the face of this illegal coup.
The government of New Zealand has announced that it is severing ties with Myanmar and banning members of its military from visiting New Zealand. I would like to see Ireland do the same, however symbolic this gesture may be.
I am also calling for the Government to use Ireland’s voice on the UN Security Council to place as much pressure as possible on the illegal military dictatorship in Myanmar, as well as their allies on the UN Security Council. – Yours, etc,
SHANE BRADY,
Sydney,
Australia.