US Senators Warn Rubio: Burma's Crisis Threatens Region Amid China's Rise

“We write to express our profound concern regarding the ongoing bloodshed and oppression in Burma, which has lasted far too long,” the lawmakers said in a joint letter led by Senator Chris Van Hollen. They cited the “systematic persecution of ethnic and religious minorities, including Muslims, Christians, and other vulnerable communities,” and warned that upcoming elections “further damage Burma’s democracy, rule of law, and further consolidate the junta’s repressive power.”

The senators urged Rubio to “prioritize addressing the escalating violence and human rights abuses in Burma, condemn the junta’s planned elections, and champion justice, accountability, and the protection of basic human dignity.”

They argued that US leadership is also “in our core national interest to achieve stability in Southeast Asia and push back on malign People’s Republic of China (PRC) influence in the region.”

The letter details the scale of the crisis: by August 2025, the civilian death toll had “surpassed 7,100,” with 3.6 million displaced and 11.8 million facing acute food insecurity. A March earthquake killed at least 3,800 people and left 6.3 million in urgent need.

Despite signs of weakening control, the junta has intensified attacks. In the six weeks after the earthquake, it launched “at least 741 airstrikes—including on schools, killing at least 22 children, and on churches on Palm Sunday—most after a declared ‘ceasefire’ in early April.” On October 6, a military paramotor “bombed a peaceful candlelight vigil…killing at least 24 people, including children.” The junta now controls “just 21 percent of Burma’s territory.”

The senators warned that the junta’s campaign has left minorities especially vulnerable. “These abuses demand a robust U.S. response rooted in moral leadership and strategic interest,” they said.

They pressed the administration to support international accountability efforts; make Burma a diplomatic priority, including by pressing Beijing; fully implement the BURMA Act and restore aid; and reverse the decision to end Temporary Protected Status for nearly 4,000 Burmese nationals in the United States. Ending TPS, they said, is “inconsistent with our values.”

Continued instability, the senators warned, “creates further openings for increased PRC influence” as Russia and China have supplied “almost $1 billion in weapons to the junta.” The only viable course, they said, is to “work with regional partners to end the violence and place Burma on a path to inclusive governance and democracy.”

- IANS