The government of Myanmar (Burma) was recently taken over by the country’s military (the Tatmadaw) in a coup d'état. The rationale for the coup was that the country’s elections, held last November shortly after our American elections, were not credible. The military is specifically questioning voter lists and the supposed lack of action to look into the issue by the now-former government led by the civilian National Democratic Party (NLD), headed by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. I would ask that you use the power of your office for two things: 1) That you condemn the actions taken by the Myanmar (Burmese) military and call for the immediate restoration of the civilian government. The elections held in November have already undergone proper scrutiny by both the then civilian-led government and by international governments and organizations – all of which deemed the election credible and fair. The claims being made by the military are baseless and not cause for seizing power. 2) As the Senate prepares for a trial against former President Trump after his recent second impeachment, that you make it clear that his words and actions following our November elections have a direct link to the words and actions taken by the Myanmar military. Former President Trump’s statements on supposed election fraud in America were parroted by the Myanmar military in the weeks leading up to the coup as they made statements claiming that the Myanmar election was “unfair” and “marred by mass fraud.” It is not hyperbole to say that, as the world witnessed former President Trump’s attempts to subvert the democratic process in America, the Myanmar military felt emboldened to make almost verbatim statements and use this as the basis for the recent coup. Beyond this, I would ask that you and all those in your office please consider the plight of Myanmar people. Under the former military junta that ruled the country for decades before transitioning to a democratic government, the people were subjected to a brutal culture of fear and intimidation. The country was almost entirely cut off from the outside world and the ramifications of this are still being felt today as it continues to be the poorest and least developed country in Southeast Asia. There is real, grounded fear that this coup will be a return to what life was like before democracy and that all recent progress will be lost. Thank you for your consideration and please keep the people of Myanmar in your thoughts as the situation there continues to unfold.
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