Do Not Fund the Burmese Generals: Ensure U.S. Earthquake Aid Reaches the People—Not Their Oppressors

In the wake of a devastating earthquake that struck Burma (Myanmar), the international community is once again confronted with a critical moral and political decision: whether to provide aid through a brutal military regime with a long history of corruption and abuse—or to stand firmly with the people and ensure support is delivered directly through trusted, independent channels.

The recent earthquake, which has displaced and endangered thousands, has exacerbated the suffering of a population already crushed by civil war, military airstrikes, and targeted oppression. Yet, while the people scramble for food, shelter, and medicine, the Burmese junta—the same regime responsible for decades of atrocities—has continued its relentless assault on civilians. Just days after the earthquake, the military launched fresh airstrikes on villages, killing innocent civilians and further destabilizing regions already struggling to recover from natural disaster [1].

The Junta’s Track Record: Corruption and Weaponized Aid

The Burmese military regime has a long-established pattern of diverting humanitarian aid for political and military gain. During previous crises, including Cyclone Nargis in 2008, the military delayed international assistance, confiscated supplies, and used aid distribution as a means to control the population and punish dissenting regions [2].

According to Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, the military routinely denies aid to areas controlled by ethnic minorities or resistance groups, deliberately creating famine-like conditions as a weapon of war [3]. Ethnic health organizations and civil society groups have repeatedly warned against trusting the junta with any form of humanitarian relief [4].

A Moral Imperative for the United States

The United States has long been a vocal advocate for democracy and human rights in Burma. Now, it must live up to those values by taking concrete steps to ensure no earthquake aid is funneled through the military junta. To do otherwise would be to risk directly financing the very forces responsible for mass atrocities—including the ongoing ethnic cleansing, indiscriminate airstrikes on civilians, and the arbitrary detention and execution of political prisoners [5].

A Clear Path Forward: Fund the People, Not the Perpetrators

The solution is clear. The U.S. and its international partners should:

• Provide aid exclusively through independent humanitarian organizations that have a proven track record and existing infrastructure in ethnic areas, such as the Karen Department of Health and Welfare, the Free Burma Rangers, and cross-border partners working from Thailand.

• Work closely with local civil society groups, ethnic health networks, and faith-based organizations that are directly embedded in the communities they serve.

• Maintain and expand targeted sanctions on the Burmese military and its business interests to prevent misuse of international funds.

• Publicly denounce continued attacks on civilians in the midst of a natural disaster and demand a full ceasefire for humanitarian access.

Conclusion

Burma's people have endured military dictatorship, civil war, and mass displacement for decades. In this moment of tragedy, they need compassion—not complicity. The international community, and especially the United States, must not repeat the mistakes of the past by trusting a regime that bombs its own people even as the ground shakes beneath them.

Delivering aid through the junta is not neutrality—it is betrayal. The U.S. must ensure its resources bring healing, not harm.

References:

[1] BBC News. (2024). Myanmar military launches airstrikes days after earthquake hits Karenni State.
[2] The New York Times. (2008). Myanmar Junta’s Aid Blockade After Cyclone Nargis.
[3] Amnesty International. (2023). Myanmar: Military depriving civilians of food and aid in war crimes.
[4] Burma Medical Association, Karen Department of Health and Welfare. (2023). Joint appeal to bypass military in aid delivery.
[5] Human Rights Watch. (2022). “The Military is Killing Us”: Systematic war crimes in Burma.