Following the Myanmar junta’s banning of 40 legitimate political parties prior to its discredited elections, Burma Campaign UK (BCUK) has called for sanctions against Myanmar to be properly and quickly implemented.
On 28 March 2023, the Myanmar military announced that it had banned 40 political parties, including the National League for Democracy (NLD), which has won every election it has been able to contest.
The ban follows the military demanding that political parties reregister, or register for the first time, with the military-appointed Union Election Commission, something the parties refused to do as the military has no legitimacy or legal power to set election rules.
The Burmese military have arrested, killed, jailed and tortured NLD members, and closed their offices, but have never gone so far as to impose a complete ban.
According to BCUK, the ban is a sign of how desperate and insecure the Burmese military are as they face unprecedented resistance after their attempted coup began two years ago.
“The Burmese military banning 40 political parties should be a wake-up call to those in the international community who still think there can be genuine dialogue and compromise with the military,” said Mark Farmaner, Director of Burma Campaign UK.
“For decades the Burmese military has held the country back from building democracy, human rights, and economic development. The people of Burma want a future without the Burmese military and the international community should be supporting them in achieving that goal. At the present time, the Burmese military receives far more international support than Burma’s democracy movement, with even the USA and UK still dithering over whether to sanction gas revenues”, he added.
According to BCUK, there are no soft-liners or genuine reformers in the military waiting in the wings. The Burmese military is not an institution that can be reformed. Each leader is more hardline and brutal than the last.
Even the so-called reform period during the 2010s saw a significant escalation of violence and human rights violations perpetrated against ethnic people in Burma, including genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.
BCUK says that he plodding pace of sanctions implementation enables the Burmese military to continue to receive revenue, arms and equipment, including aviation fuel, which it is using to commit violations of international law against the population of Burma.
“Faced with increased repression, airstrikes, artillery bombardments and a humanitarian crisis, the people of Burma need swift and decisive action to cut off revenue and arms to the Burmese military, including gas revenue and aviation fuel. The pace of sanctions implementation is simply too slow, and people are dying as a result,” said Mark Farmaner.
According to Myanmar state media, the following 40 political parties have not applied to re-register. They will be declared illegal and dissolved.
1. Lahu National Development Party
2. Democratic Party (Myanmar)
3. Kayen National Party
4. Ta’ang (Palaung) National Party
5. Party for Democracy and Peace
6. Shan Nationalities Democratic Party
7. Wunthanu Democratic Party
8. National Democratic Party for Development
9. Ethnic National Development Party (ENDP)
10. Kaman National Development Party
11. Bamar People’s Party
12. National League for Democracy
13. Democratic Party for a New Society
14. Myanmar National Congress Party
15. Asho Chin National Party
16. Shan National League for Democracy
17. United National Congress Party
18. National Prosperity Party
19. Dawei Nationalities Party
20. Federal Union Party
21. Union Pa-O National Organization
22. Khumi (Khami) National Party
23. Democratic Party for a New Society
24. Karen National Party
25. Mro National Democracy Party
26. Guiding Star Party
27. 88 Generation Democracy Party
28. Lhaovo National Unity and Development Party
29. New Era Union Party
30. Zo National Region Development Party
31. National Development Party
32. Daingnet National Development Party
33. Arakan League for Democracy Party
34. Kayah State Democratic Party
35. National United Democratic Party (NUDP)
36. The Yeomanry Development Party (YDP)
37. Chin National League for Democracy Party
38. Chin National Party (CNP)
39. Kachin National Party
40. Alliance of Myanmar’s Worker and Farmer Party (AMWFP)
