October-December

• Do More Singapore Global Call (October)

On October 2023, the Blood Money campaign launched the #DoMoreSingapore global campaign to raise public awareness and demand action against Singapore-based organizations that are allegedly aiding the Myanmar military junta by providing money, weapons, and military equipment used in escalating war crimes against innocent lives in Myanmar. The campaign aims to expose the role of Singaporean banks and businesses in facilitating the flow of funds and resources to the junta and urge the Singaporean government to take stronger measures to curb such activities. The campaign calls on Singapore to introduce sanctions to stop the direct and indirect transfer of arms, dual-use goods, technology, jet fuel, and related transactions to the Myanmar military, utilize money laundering provisions, and expedite and make public ongoing investigations into Singaporean companies that have supplied arms, dual-use goods, and technology to the Myanmar military. The campaign uses multiple strategies to pressure the Government of Singapore, including sending open letters to Singapore embassies in 18 countries, using social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Telegram, and Instagram, and collecting signatures and support through a petition. The campaign also includes performance art and ready-used campaign materials, including Twitter trending packages, posters, awareness content, 11 videos, and 28 graphic designs.

We call on Singapore to:

1.     Introduce sanctions to stop the direct and indirect transfer of arms, dual-use goods, technology, jet fuel, and related transactions to the Myanmar military.

2.    Utilize money laundering provisions and impose sanctions to ensure the illegal junta cannot access the Singapore financial system or over USD 4.5 billion of funds that belong to the Government of Myanmar.

3.     Expedite and make public ongoing investigations into Singaporean companies that have supplied arms, dual-use goods, and technology to the Myanmar military.

In the first and second weeks of October, we met with our local and international partners such as Milk Tea Alliance, Global Myanmar Spring Revolution, Save Myanmar, USACM, campaign groups, diaspora communities in around 21 countries, strike committees such as the General Strike Committee of Nationalities and the General Strike Coordination Body, and individuals such as activists, social influencers, and public figures. In these two weeks, we had more than 23 meetings with them, including Ministers of the National Unity Government (NUG), and around 400 people attended the meetings, according to the Zoom meeting records. 

In this #DoMoreSingapore global action, we utilize multiple strategies to take efficient actions and effectively pressure the Government of Singapore. We sent open letters to the Singapore embassies in 18 countries, especially in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Norway, the Philippines, Taiwan,  Thailand, the UK, and the USA. Our alliances in those countries protect against the affiliations of the Singapore government with the Myanmar Junta's financial and arms access.  Inside Myanmar, the local strike committees and the people strike against Singapore on-ground, especially in the Sagaing region and ERO and PDF-controlled areas. 

We also use social media as a tool for our campaign. Facebook, Twitter (X), TikTok, Telegram, and Instagram are utilized in this campaign. Twitter is significantly used for Twitter trending with hashtags #DoMoreSingapore and #SGBlockArmsJunta. We also used Facebook for “naming and shaming” the government officials who allow the Junta to access the financial system and weapons in their country, such as the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister.  Not only inside Myanmar but also people around the world joined our #DoMoreSingapore global action through their protest photos in which people hold the demand posters such as “Singapore - Freeze Myanmar foreign reserves over 4.5 billion”, “Singapore - Stop Selling Arms to Myanmar Junta For Killing Our Children”, “Singapore – Clean or Blood Money?”, “Singapore - Block the junta access to funds, arms, technology and jet fuel”, “Singapore Gov – Sanction MFTB and MICB, and “Singapore - Stop Arms Transaction to Junta”. 

The petition at the center of the "Do More Singapore" campaign is a vital tool for collecting signatures and support from the public. BMC organized the petition campaign, and 21 co-sponsored groups collectively participated in this petition collection. We send letters to Singapore Embassay in 9 countries (Ireland, South Korea, Italy, Australia, Taiwan, the USA, Japan, Germany and Thailand) during November and mid-October.  Our partner group, the Democratic Youth Council, led the on-ground petition collection. It serves as a powerful means of demonstrating widespread concern and urgency regarding Singapore's alleged role in supporting the Myanmar military junta. By signing the petition, individuals express their solidarity with the campaign's objectives, which include calling for sanctions on arms transfers, financial restrictions on the junta, and transparent investigations into involved companies. The petition harnesses collective voices to advocate for change and to pressure Singapore to take action in response to the allegations, contributing to the broader effort to address the Myanmar crisis. We also collected the endorsements of the organizations, and more than (XXX) organizations were endorsed in our open letter to the Singapore Government. In the campaign’s activities, performance art is also included. Performance artists joined our campaign and demonstrated their performances in order to highlight how the Singaporean government supports Myanmar junta atrocities. 

The Blood Money Campaign called for global action in raising awareness, grassroots-level movement, online and onsite protests, and campaign materials. In these ready-used campaign materials, we prepared Twitter trending packages, campaign posters, awareness content, 11 videos, and 28 graphic designs, including memes and cartoons, and disseminated them among not only the local community but also the international community.

• Sanction MOGE

The Blood Money Campaign, spearheaded by international governments, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and the European Union, has achieved a significant milestone on October 31, 2023. The primary objective of this campaign was to advocate for the imposition of financial sanctions on the Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE) due to its substantial contributions to the military regime's financial resources. The campaign's relentless efforts and advocacy have finally led to the United States taking action by imposing targeted sanctions on MOGE. MOGE, as Burma's most lucrative state-owned enterprise, has been a key source of revenue for the military regime, generating hundreds of millions of dollars in foreign income annually. This revenue has been utilized by the regime to finance the acquisition of weapons and military equipment from abroad, perpetuating atrocities and human rights abuses. Since the establishment of the Blood Money Campaign (BMC), the campaign has consistently called upon the United States to impose sanctions on MOGE. The BMC's advocacy efforts aimed to raise awareness about the significant role MOGE played in funding the military regime's oppressive activities.

On this pivotal day, the United States has taken a substantial step by imposing targeted sanctions on MOGE. The objective of these sanctions is to disrupt the military regime's access to the U.S. financial system, ultimately curbing its capacity to continue committing atrocities and human rights violations. The sanctions imposed on MOGE represent a significant achievement for the Blood Money Campaign. By cutting off a crucial source of revenue for the military regime, the sanctions will restrict their ability to finance their oppressive actions and purchase arms for further violence. This action will contribute to international efforts to hold the regime accountable for its human rights abuses and promote a more just and democratic future for Burma.

• No to APEC

No, to APEC: We have made movements against APEC from Nov 10 to November 19 due to factors that among the APEC member countries, the main supporters of the Burmese military group are Russia, China Singapore The United States and Canada, which have sanctioned the military group, ASEAN member countries such as Thailand, Malaysia Indonesia Brunei In addition to Vietnam and the Philippines, other countries are also included. Leading up to this meeting, the Blood Money Campaign urges APEC members to stop importing and selling jet fuel and weapons to the Burmese military group and stop trade with the military group. We are going to pressure countries to stop engaging in human rights violations and war crimes. We must continue to demand that domestic airstrikes decrease in force. APEC stands for Asia-Pacific Economic Corporations, an intergovernmental organization of 21 member countries. Under the title of free trade, the rights and sovereignty of countries Ignoring the rights of the people, it is a meeting focused on the interests of businesses and corporations. Profits from businesses benefiting only a handful of rich people; oppression and exploitation of the working class; ignoring the rights of countries and people; causing adverse effects on the environment.

• May Gyi Mal Program

It sounds like the "May Gyi Mal" program is an engaging way to raise awareness about issues related to military financial pillars. Using content videos to ask questions of the public and then providing the correct answers after a couple of days is an interesting approach. Encouraging social media users to respond to questions creates an interactive experience. The public likes participating. This engagement can help retain the audience's attention and keep them interested in the Blood Money Campaign. This program can also serve as a platform to gather insights and data about public awareness and opinions regarding military financial matters.

• In-person Meeting with the Netherlands Ambassador

A representative from the Blood Money Campaign had a meeting in Thailand with the Netherlands ambassador to Thailand on November 27.*

• Planning Jet Fuel campaign 

Blood Money campaign is planning on a campaign to target Junta’s Access to Jet Fuel. Jet Fuel Accountability Campaign 2024: The Blood Money Campaign is focused on curbing military junta access to jet fuel. We urge states and companies to halt the export of aviation fuel to Myanmar, demanding a commitment to ending impunity for both international and domestic companies involved in shipping, importing, providing insurance, storing, and distributing jet fuel utilized by the military junta in their campaign against humanity. The campaign sheds light on the distant port of origin for the fuel, tracing its path to unlawful air strikes that have resulted in civilian casualties. Amnesty International's report highlights the pivotal role played by Puma Energy, majority-owned by global commodity giant Trafigura, in supplying the Myanmar military since 2015 through its local entities. The report also exposes the involvement of global and regional oil companies, maritime insurers, vessel owners, shipping agents, and truck distributors in this supply chain. The revelation underscores the interconnected web of support that enables the Myanmar military's actions. Depriving the military junta of aviation fuel is crucial, as it would render them incapable of powering the aircraft responsible for committing crimes through air strikes against civilians. The campaign seeks to hold all involved entities accountable and disrupt the supply chain supporting these reprehensible activities.

In December 2023, we have been working on the “ban jet fuel campaign”, especially focusing on raising awareness among the people and starting advocacy in the international communities. Our close campaign partner, Global Myanmar Spring Revolution demonstrated abroad against governments and companies which are still providing jet fuel to the brutal junta. 

• Meeting on November

As important meetings, We had a Meeting with the National Unity Government, especially with MOFA and MOPFI and CRPH (Ireland) and revolution organization for jet fuel campaign. We had two advocacy meetings for the Junta’s access to Jet fuel with the Global Myanmar Spring Revolution and General Strike coordination body, also had a meeting with a Cambodia organization to establish a partnership on 20 November and MSU-SC as well. On 29 November, we met with FS2M ( from the Singapore to Myanmar group) for the ongoing Do More Singapore campaign. We met with Thai alliances (ETO watch) on campaigns targeting PTT-PTTEP on November 30. 

• Research Activities

For the research project, BMC is going to establish a comprehensive data collection system to monitor military air strike activities in Myanmar. This involves data from local and international sources, including eyewitness accounts, media reports, and human rights organizations. Classifying the collected data into specific categories, including date, location, type of aircraft used, targets, and the impact on civilians. Document findings in a comprehensive and accessible manner. Develop reports, visual aids, and summaries to communicate the impact on civilians and the connection to the jet fuel supply chain effectively. Publicizing the data builds public awareness and puts pressure on states and companies to reassess their involvement in the jet fuel supply chain. It encourages them to take responsible actions and divest from activities contributing to human rights violations. Monitoring military air strike activities and building a comprehensive dataset is crucial for the Jet Fuel Accountability Campaign, providing the necessary foundation for advocacy, public awareness, and international cooperation to address the impact on civilians.

We have been working with the Sanction Data group to monitor and update the comprehensive Sanction Data and Boycott list since the beginning of November.

In December, the research team initiated data collection for the jet fuel campaign. We collected airstrike data, and berthing lists and watched the updated jet fuel information from open-resources and BMC’s contact people who are working on-ground. We closely work with the ERA organization on this campaign to share information and research. 

• BMC In-person meeting

From December 6 to 12, BMC’s members met in person in Thailand for mental-welling, enhancing the bonds among the members, and planning for the next campaign activities. Trauma-informed sessions are included in the meeting. This is the first time all members have gathered in person after 3 years of online working. 

• Letter to Chevron

BMC and Earth Rights International have sent an open letter to Chevron CEO Mike Wirth, asking whether Chevron is aiding the Myanmar military junta in evading U.S. Treasury sanctions to sustain its gas revenue on December 24.