As the U.S. House of Representatives prepares for a historic vote this week on the bipartisan BURMA Act of 2021, a broad coalition of Myanmar diaspora community organisations and their allies have called on Congress to pass the “Burma Act of 2021” and send it swiftly to President Biden’s desk.

Introduced in the wake of the February 2021 Myanmar military coup, the BURMA Act of 2021 is sponsored in the Senate by Senator Ben Cardin (Democrat, Maryland) and in the House by Representatives. Gregory Meeks (Democrat, New York), Steve Chabot (Republican, Ohio) and Michael McCaul (Republican, Texas). The bill would authorize humanitarian assistance and civil society support, promote democracy and human rights, and impose targeted sanctions on the Myanmar military with respect to its human rights abuses in Burma.

Jan Jan Maran, the Co-Founder and Executive of the Global Movement for Myanmar Democracy (GM4MD) said: "It has already been one year too long that we have waited for the BURMA Act of 2021 to be passed. The people of Burma can no longer afford to wait, so neither should we. While mechanisms to both impair the Myanmar military and support the people of Burma can still be employed, the time to act is now. Before it's too late, Congress must pass the BURMA Act immediately."

Wai Khine of the U.S. Advocacy Coalition for Myanmar said: “The BURMA Act of 2021 is the next comprehensive step in United States’ ongoing support for democracy in Burma. We, the diaspora, support the humanitarian and democracy aid authorized in the Burma Act along with the justice and accountability mechanisms for the atrocity crimes committed by the military regime.”

Simon Billenness, Executive Director International Campaign for the Rohingya: “We urge the U.S. House of Representatives this week to pass the BURMA Act of 2021 in consideration of those killed by the military junta and the destruction that the regime imposes on human rights and democracy. Congress must take swift and concrete actions in holding the junta accountable for their crimes and supporting the people of Burma’s path to democracy”