The military in Myanmar are attacking healthcare workers and crippling the healthcare system

The military regime in Myanmar has issued 360 arrest warrants for health workers [1] and charged them under Section 505(a) of the Penal Code, sentencing some already to 3 years prison. Health workers have been arrested whilst treating injured patients, others taken from their homes at night for joining strike actions or simply supporting strikes on social media.

Nurses, doctors and other health workers were amongst the first to walk off their jobs in opposition to the military coup in Myanmar on 1 February 2021, sparking the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM). By late February, nearly one-third of Myanmar’s 1,262 public hospitals were closed [2]. Civil servants from other sectors have followed suit, bringing the operation of the country's banks, schools, railway operations, and businesses to a halt.

By late February, nearly one-third of Myanmar’s 1,262 public hospitals were closed.

Since then the Tatmadaw (military of Myanmar) has been routinely targeting healthcare workers using violence, shooting at hospitals, arresting health workers, looting medical supplies and donation money, seizing ambulances and vandalising funeral houses to suppress their resistance. On 15 April, Myanmar's military opened fire on healthcare workers holding a peaceful protest in Mandalay.

Hospitals and medical clinics have been warned that they will be targeted if they allow health workers who have participated in the CDM to attend to patients. Doctors found to be treating any patients free of charge have been fined or arrested.

Twenty year old nursing student, Thinzar Hein, was shot dead while trying to attend to injured protesters in Monywa on March 28th. At least one other nurse and two doctors have been killed by the military since the coup.

The military has also been occupying public hospitals and deliberately preventing doctors from treating emergency patients.

The military has also been occupying public hospitals and deliberately preventing doctors from treating emergency patients. They have shot at hospitals treating injured protestors. They have targeted paramedics who seek to treat injured protestors and prevented ambulances from attending any non-military call outs. They have attacked medics and destroyed or confiscated ambulances.

Whilst the military regime agreed to an ASEAN communique on 24th April calling for an end to the use of violence, attacks on health workers have not subsided. On 2nd May the military raided an HIV clinic, abducting 12 patients, including 3 children seeking treatment, and confiscating critical ARV drugs.

The sustained attacks on health workers, hospitals and health equipment is a violation of international law ‘which only serves to further undermine a health care system already embattled by the Covid-19 pandemic and by the coup.’ [3] These attacks violate a range of internationally agreed standards designed to protect health workers from military attacks most recently affirmed in UN Security Council Resolution 2286 (2016) [4].

By the 99th day of the coup, the Tatmadaw’s forces arrested more than 4900 civilians including elected leaders, election commissioners, anti-regime protesters, teachers, doctors, journalists, writers, artists and civilians. More than 780 civilians have been killed during military crackdowns, raids, arrests and random shootings [5].

In response to the healthcare workers’ appeal to the international community in early February, PSI, as the global union representing health sector unions, has been organising to share their struggle. Along with our allies, we have been calling on governments and global institutions to condemn the military coup and arrests, cease any funding to the Tatmadaw and recognise elected representatives as the government of Myanmar.

PSI and other global unions launched a Strike Fund to support the striking health workers, local government and other public service workers.

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References

[1] As of 4th May - Myanmar Doctors for Human Rights.

[2] The Irrawaddy (April 19, 2021). Myanmar Regime Steps Up Arrests of Doctors as Strike Movement Takes Toll. https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/myanmar-regime-steps-arrests-doctors-strike-movement-takes-toll.html

[3] CNN (March 8, 2021). Myanmar military occupies hospitals and universities ahead of mass strike. https://edition.cnn.com/2021/03/08/asia/myanmar-military-hospitals-mass-strike-intl-hnk/index.html

[4] Resolution 2286 (2016) / adopted by the Security Council at its 7685th meeting, on 3 May 2016. https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/827916?ln=en

[5] According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP)