General Than Shwe
Chairman
State Law and Order Restoration Council
Ministry of Defense
Signal Pagoda Road
Yangon, Union of Myanmar

Dear General:

I wish to express my concern regarding attacks the Burmese military has made against civilians in Myanmar, specifically against members of the Karen ethnic minority who have sought refuge in Thailand.

I urge you to take immediate steps to ensure that the army does not engage in deliberate and unlawful killings, torture, ill-treatment or arbitrary arrests of any civilians, including members of ethnic minorities.

Please understand that my concern for the safety of the Karen refugees is not in any way political. Rather, it is based on a genuine concern for the human rights of all the world’s people and a firm belief that all governments have a responsibility to protect and defend the rights of their citizens. Human rights transcend political and national boundaries, and abuses of these rights cannot be tolerated under any circumstances. It is in this spirit that I appeal to you to ensure that military forces in your country immediately halt their attacks against civilians.

Respectfully yours,