4 June 2025
Over 50 civil society organizations announced today the launch of a month-long public campaign titled “STOP WoA” (Stop Weaponization of Aid), calling for international action to ensure humanitarian assistance is not exploited as a weapon by Myanmar’s military junta.
The movement emerged in response to mounting concerns that the junta has been manipulating international humanitarian aid—meant for earthquake-affected civilians in regions like Sagaing, Mandalay, and Shan State—for military and political gain.
Campaign organizers stated their goal is to alert international governments and aid agencies, including the UN and ASEAN, to the risks of junta misuse and to demand effective safeguards that ensure aid reaches affected populations directly and equitably.
The campaign, set to run throughout June, urges broad public participation, including resistance groups and local civil society organizations. Organizers emphasized that Myanmar’s military has a long history of misappropriating humanitarian aid during crises, citing examples such as Cyclone Nargis in 2008, Cyclone Mocha in 2023, and Typhoon Yagi in 2024.
A displaced resident from the earthquake-hit region of Sagaing recounted being denied aid due to lacking a junta-issued household list: “They told me my registration wasn’t Form-10, so I couldn’t get anything. Only aid from local civil groups reached us—things like rice, noodles, sanitary items, and phone credits.”
The movement coincides with alarming updates from the National Unity Government (NUG). Since the March 28 earthquake, at least 4,493 people have died, 11,366 injured, and hundreds are missing across Sagaing, Mandalay, Bago, southern and eastern Shan State, and Naypyidaw.
Additionally, between March 28 and May 30, the junta reportedly carried out 528 airstrikes, resulting in 462 civilian deaths and 884 injuries, according to the NUG Ministry of Human Rights.
Organizers insist that these figures underscore the urgent need to prevent aid from becoming yet another tool of oppression and call on the international community to enact coordinated embargoes on fuel, weapons, and political legitimacy to the junta.
