ICES and IDSS condemn Myanmar crackdown

Scholars, peace workers, women activists, and policy advocates working in some 30 war-torn countries – including Congo, Nepal, Philippines, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka – banded as the Global Consortium on Security Transformation who met this week at Kandalama expressed their solidarity with the citizens of Myanmar and denounced the Myanmar government’s violent attack on the unarmed peaceful protesters clamouring for democracy in that country.

This latest act of repression and the state’s unprovoked retaliation underlines the oppressiveness of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) rule in Myanmar, states a joint release issued by the International Centre for Ethnic Studies in Colombo and the Institute of Development Studies, Sussex.

“From our direct experience of peace-building around the world, we affirm that collective civic action is the surest path to peaceful transformation, and we reiterate the responsibility of the Burmese State to provide security to all of its citizens and be accountable to them”, the release adds.