A Letter from 125 Faith Leaders, Urging Senators to Oppose Increased Embrace of Burmese Military by Co-Sponsoring SA 607 to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018
Dear Senator,
As leaders of diverse religious denominations, congregations, and faith-based organizations, we write to express our unified strong opposition to a provision in the Senate’s current draft of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would increase U.S. military engagement with Burma. We urge you to co-sponsor a bipartisan amendment (SA 607) to strike this language.
Over the past year, the Burmese military has been implicated in egregious abuses in several regions of the country. According to the State Department’s latest International Religious Freedom Report, following an attack on security forces that killed dozens in the northern Rakhine State, “the Burmese military and police forces conducted ‘security operations’ that suspended access to humanitarian aid, independent media, and human rights monitors over a broad area.” Their violent operations displaced approximately 93,000 civilians, with about 70,000 fleeing to neighboring Bangladesh.
Based on interviews with those who fled, Human Rights Watch believes that “Burmese security forces burned at least 1500 buildings in predominantly Rohingya areas, raped or sexually assaulted dozens of women, and committed extrajudicial executions.” The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights found that crimes against the ethnic Rohingya community in northern Rakhine State “seem to have been widespread as well as systematic, indicating the very likely commission of crimes against humanity.”
In March the UN High Commission of Human Rights launched a fact-finding mission to substantiate or disprove this allegation, but neither the government nor the Burmese military has cooperated. Their refusal puts Burma in league with Syria and North Korea – other countries that deny the UN access.
Amnesty International found a similar pattern in the Army’s targeting of other ethnic minorities in Burma’s Northern Shan State, where the military stands accused of forcibly disappearing Kachin Baptist ministers who were witness to the military’s bombing of a Catholic church. Two ministers led journalists to the scene of the damaged church in December 2016 and were last seen traveling towards the Byuha Gon military base. Despite repeated inquiries from representatives of the Kachin Baptist Convention to local government authorities, nothing has been heard of the Baptist ministers and the Government of Burma denies its military had anything to do with their disappearance.
According to the Trafficking in Persons report issued in 2017, “The military continued to subject civilians to forced labor.… Ethnic minority groups in Burma—particularly internally displaced Rohingya, Rakhine, Shan, and Kachin communities—continued to be at elevated risk of forced labor as a result of ongoing military incursions, and the government remained largely inactive on this longstanding issue.”
Our shared commitment to faith and moral teachings commit us to support policies and practices that sustain our collective humanity and to speak out when our brothers and sisters are being oppressed. We do not believe that the record of abuse and impunity by the military in Burma over the past year merits closer U.S. support at this time.
We thank Senators Gardner, Markey and Cardin for their leadership on SA 607 and urge all Senators to support this amendment to strike an embrace of this military at this time.
Respectfully,
Rabbi Rachel Ackerman, Washington, DC
Rabbi David Almong, Yonkers, NY
Rabbi Thomas M. Alpert, Temple Etz Chaim, Franklin, MA
Rabbi Alana Alpert, Detroit Jews for Justice, Congregation T’chiyah
Hon. Thomas Andrews, President and CEO, Unitarian Universalist Service Committee
Rabbi Camille Shira Angel, San Francisco, CA
Arizona Jews for Justice
Rabbi Justus Baird, Dean, Auburn Seminary, NY
Robert Bank, President and CEO, American Jewish World Service
Rabbi George (Gershom) Barnard, Cincinatti, OH
Rabbi Morris Barzilai, Mount Vernon, NY
Rabbi Eliot J. Baskin, D. Min. Jewish Family Service, Denver, CO
Rabbi Majorie Berman, Clarks Summit, PA
Rabbi Neil Blumofe, Senior Rabbi, Congregation Agudas Achim, Austin, TX
Rabbi Lisa Bock, Westlake Village, CA
Rabbi Jill Borodin, Seattle, WA
Rabbi Colin Brodie, Trunbul, CT
Cantor Shoshana Brown, Temple Beth El, Falls River, MA
Rabbi Neil Bumofe, Senior Rabbi, Congregation Agudas Achim, Austin, TX
Rabbi Lee Bycel, University of San Francisco, CA
Rabbi Debra Cantor, B’nai Tikvoh-Sholom, Bloomfield, CT
Sister Patricia Chappell, Executive Director, Pax Christi
Rabbi Julian I. Cook, Denver, CO
Rabbi Menachem Creditor, Berkeley, CA
Rabbi Faith Joy Dantowitz, Milburn, NJ
Rabbi Beth D. Davidson, Manchester, NH
Rev. Dr. John C. Dorhauer, General Minister and President, United Church of Christ
Rabbi Paula Mack Drill, Orangetown Jewish Center, Orangeburg, NY
Rabbi Denise Eger, D.D. Congregation Kol Shofar, Tiburon, CA
Rabbi Sue Levi Elwell, Mishwaka, IN
Rabbi David Engalander, Boca Raton, FL
Rabbi Michael Feinberg, Executive Director, Greater New York Labor-Religion Coalition, NY
Rabbi Marla J. Feldman, New York, NY
Rabbi Nancy Flam, Northampton, MA
Rabbi Wendi Geffen, Dearfield, IL
Rabbi David Gelfand, Temple Israel of the City of New York, NY
Rabbi Laura Geller, Los Angeles, CA
Rabbi Miriyan Glazer
Rabbi Gary Glickstein, Miami Beach, FL
Rabbi Rachel Goldenberg, Malkhut Queens, NY
Rabbi Michael Goldman, While Plains, NY
Rabbi Megan GoldMarche, Chicago, IL
Rabbi Mel Gottlieb, Los Angeles, CA
Rabbi Joshua Levine Grater, Pasadena, CA
Rabbi James Greene, Stafford Springs, CT
Rabbi Kenneth Greene, Boca Raton, FL
Rabbi David Greenstein, Congregation Shomrei Emunah, Montclair, NJ
Rabbi Debra R. Hachen, Jersey City, NJ
Jeffrey Haggray, Executive Director, American Baptist Home Mission Societies
Rabbi Richard Hammerman, Rabbi Emeritus, Congregation B’nai Israel, Toms River, NJ
Rabbi Maurice Harris, Elkins Park, PA
Rev. Dr. Susan Henry-Crowe, General Secretary, General Board of Church and Society, The United Methodist Church
Rabbi Lauren Grabelle Herrmann, New York, NY
Rabbi Linda Holtzman, Tikkun Olam Chavurah, Wyncote, PA
Rabbi Suzie Jacobson, Temple Israel, Boston, MA
Rabbi David Jaffe, Sharon, MA
Rabbi Rachel Kahn-Troster, Director of Programs, T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights, New York, NY
Rabbi David Kaiman, Gainesville, FL
Rabbi David Kalb, Jewish Learning Center of New York, NY
Rabbi Beth Kalisch, Beth David Reform Congregation, Gladwyne, PA
Rabbi Stephen Karol, Stony Brook, NY
Rabbi Dusty Klass, Charlotte, NC
Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum, Senior Rabbi, Congregation Beit Simchat Torah, New York, NY
Rabbi Deb Kolody, UnShul, OR
Rabbi David J.B. Krishef, Grand Rapids, MI
Rabbi David Lazar, Temple Isaiah, Palm Springs, CA
Gerry G. Lee, Director, Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns
Rabbi Susan Leider, Congregation Kol Shofar, Tiburon, CA
Rabbi Micheal Lerner, Beyt Tikkun Synagogue, Berkeley, CA
Rabbi Valerie Lieber, Brooklyn, NY
Rabbi Richard M. Litvak, Rabbi Emeritus, Tempe Beth El, Aptos, CA
Uri Li’tzedek, Orthodox Social Justice
Rabbi Nina H. Mandel, Congregation Beth El, Sunbury, PA
Rabbi Jeffrey Marker, Brooklyn, NY
Rabbi Danny Marmostein, Miami, FL
Rabbi Sharon Mars, Columbus, OH
Rabbi Nathan Martin Philadelphia, PA
Rabbi José Rolando Matalon, B’nai Jeshurun, New York, NY
Eli McCarthy, Director of Justice and Peace, (Catholic) Conference of Superiors of Men
Rev. Dr. A. Roy, Medley General Secretary Emeritus, American Baptist Churches
Rabbi Bernard H. Mehlman, Senior Scholar, Temple Israel, Boston, MA
Rabbi Batsheva Meiri, Weaverville, NC
Rabbi P. Michael Meyerstein, Baltimore, MD
Avis D. Miller, Rabbi Emerita, Adas Israle Congregation, Washington, DC
Rabbi Micheal Myerstein, Baltimore, MD
Rabbi Robin Nafshi, Concord, NH
Rabbi Leah Novick, Carmel, CA
Rabbi Jack Paskoff, Lancaster, PA
Jonah Dov Pesner, Director, Religious Action Committee
Fr. Antonio Ponce, OMI, JPIC Director, Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate
Rabbinical Assembly of Conservative Judaism
Rabbi Joshua Rabin, New York, NY
Diane Randall, Executive Secretary, Friends Committee on National Legislation (Quakers)
Rabbi Joshua Ratner, Woodbridge, CT
Rabbi Victor Reinstein, Nehar Shalom Community Synagogue, Jamaica Plain, MA
Rabbi Peter Rigler, Elkins Park, PA
Rabbi Tracee Rosen, Sun City West, AZ
Rabbi James B. Rosenberg, Temple Habonim, Barrington, RI
Rabbi Julie Roth, Princeton, NJ
Rabbi Peter Schacktman, Utica, NY
Cantor Robert Scherr, Natick, MA
Rabbi Joel Schwab, Bronx, NY
Rabbi Jeremy Schwartz, Willimantic, CT
Rabbi Gabriel Kretzmer Seed, Bronx, NY
Rabbi Suzanne Singer, Riverside, CA
Rabbi Hesch Sommer, Guilford, CT
Rabbi Elie Spitz, Tustin, CA
Rev. Dr. Lee B. Spitzer, General Secretary, American Baptist Churches USA
Rabbi David Steinberg, Temple Duluth, MN
Jean Stokan, Institute Justice Team, Sisters of Mercy of the Americas
Rabbi Chaim Tureff, Los Angeles, CA
Rabbi Deborah Waxman, Ph.D., Wyncote, PA
Rabbi Elyse Wechterman, Executive Director, Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association, Wyncote, PA
Rabbi Arthur Weiner, Paramus, NJ
Rabbi Sarah Weisman, Los Altos Hills, CA
Rabbi Alex Weissman, Senior Jewish Educator, Brown RISD Hillel, Providence, RI
Rabbi Lauren Werber, Temple B’nai Abraham, Elyria, OH
Jim Winkler, General Secretary/President, National Council of Churches
Rabbi Elyse Winnick, Boston, MA
Scott Wright, Director, Columban Center for Advocacy and Outreach, Missionary Society of St. Columban Rabbi Shmuly Yankowitz, Scotsdale, AZ
Rabbi Elana Zaiman, Seattle, WA
Rabbi Mark Zimmerman, Congregation Beth Shalon, Atlanta, GA
Rabbi Julie Zupan, Sharon, MA
To download a full version of the letter in pdf format [click here] (https://www.fcnl.org/documents/455).