When the US House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee convened on November 19 for the hearing “No Exit Strategy: Burma’s Endless Crisis and America’s Limited Options,” the testimony sounded remarkably familiar.
To those of us who have been sounding the alarm since the start of the 119th Congress, it was a moment of profound vindication. The hearing record now officially reflects what we struggled to convey at the beginning of the year: the junta is a criminal enterprise, China is its decisive enabler and the resistance is winning on its own terms. But the road to this consensus was paved with unnecessary obstacles—not just from our adversaries, but regrettably, from within our own ranks. Earlier this year, as the new Congress took its seats, we drafted a letter titled “What Myanmar’s United Resistance Wants the US Congress to Know.” Our goal was simple: to present a unified front. We warned that the military junta’s planned elections for late 2025 were a “sham” designed to veneer their authoritarian control with false legitimacy.
We argued that the “pig butchering” scam centers were not just a regional nuisance but a direct national security threat to the United States. Most importantly, we urged Washington to stop viewing the conflict through a lens of pity and start recognizing the strategic reality of our “DIY revolution.” Getting this message to Capitol Hill was a battle that revealed deep fissures in our diaspora advocacy. While the cause of democracy should have united us, the reality was far more fractured. Many community members and organizations were paralyzed by inertia.
Some refused to help because the letter’s call for broad unity did not serve their narrow personal or organizational agendas. Others held titles of leadership but lacked the capacity actually to lead when the moment demanded it.
Most disheartening were the “pretenders”—individuals who rely on those with hidden agendas to feign advocacy while achieving nothing. We even faced active obstruction from well-connected lobbyists who, protecting their own access, tried to block our message from reaching key representatives.
Despite the apathy of ineffective leaders and the sabotage by gatekeepers, the truth has a way of breaking through. Below is the message we fought to deliver, item by item, and how the November 19 hearing vindicated each point.
- Clarify the Name Confusion (Burma vs Myanmar)• Our Demand: We highlighted that the inconsistency between the US State Department’s use of “Burma” and the junta’s use of “Myanmar” complicates public understanding and masks the country’s identity.• What Congress Heard: Throughout the hearing, members and witnesses used “Burma” consistently to denote the country’s true democratic identity, rejecting the junta’s nomenclature. Chairwoman Young Kim and others reinforced this by referring to the “Burmese military junta” and “Burma’s endless crisis,” aligning US official language with the resistance’s preference.
- Combat Limited Awareness of the Crisis• Our Demand: We warned that Americans are unaware of the 2021 coup’s scale, the violent suppression, and the evolution of the conflict into a full-scale civil war.• What Congress Heard: The hearing explicitly aimed to “illuminate a prominent source of regional instability” that the world is “largely ignoring.” Ambassador Kelly Currie testified that while the world looks away, this is the “most hopeful I’ve been” because of the resistance’s success, directly addressing the need to shine a light on the reality of the conflict.
- Correct Misconceptions About the Resistance• Our Demand: We stressed that the National Unity Government (NUG) is not fragmented but collaborates effectively with Ethnic Resistance Organizations (EROs) in a coordinated struggle.• What Congress Heard: Mr Steve Ross testified that Operation 1027 demonstrated “unprecedented degree of collaboration between ethnic armed groups and Burmese resistance actors,” debunking the narrative of a chaotic, divided opposition. He noted that resistance forces have made “significant territorial gains” through this coordination.
- Counter Misinformation and Propaganda• Our Demand: We called out junta lobbyists for spreading disinformation to obscure the resistance’s goals and undermine international support.• What Congress Heard: The hearing exposed the junta’s narratives as false. Witnesses described the regime’s crackdown on scam centers as “purely performative” and “kabuki theater,” directly countering the propaganda that the military is a stabilizing force or a partner in law enforcement.
- Strengthen Diaspora Engagement• Our Demand: We acknowledged the barriers to effective advocacy and called for better community education and coalition-building.• What Congress Heard: The presence and testimony of Lucky Karim, a Rohingya refugee and advocate, exemplified the power of diaspora engagement. Her detailed account of the conditions in Cox’s Bazar and her call for the “Burma Genocide Accountability and Protection Act” demonstrated the critical role of diaspora voices in shaping policy.
- Address the Humanitarian Crisis• Our Demand: Highlighting Myanmar’s rank as a top global crisis, we demanded increased humanitarian assistance.• What Congress Heard: Representative Amo and others highlighted that “more than half of its population [is] living in poverty” and “nearly 3.6 million people [are] internally displaced.” The hearing confirmed the “dire humanitarian situation” and the need for sustained US support to prevent further loss of life.
- Stop the Junta’s Aid Manipulation• Our Demand: We argued that aid distributed through UN channels is weaponized by the junta and demanded alternative cross-border delivery.• What Congress Heard: Ambassador Currie explicitly validated this, stating the regime “consistently blocks any humanitarian assistance” and “instrumentalizes” aid. She recommended “working through cross-border organizations” and “not providing any humanitarian assistance through regime-controlled channels,” matching our demand perfectly.
- Provide Non-Lethal Assistance (Early Warning Systems)• Our Demand: We called for urgent implementation of the BURMA Act to provide non-lethal support, specifically Early Warning Systems for air attacks.• What Congress Heard: Witnesses criticized the “piecemeal approach” and the failure to fully use authorities under the BURMA Act. Mr. Ross noted that while legislation exists to support resistance groups, it has “not been fully implemented,” reinforcing our call for immediate, tangible non-lethal aid.
- Expose China’s Malign Interference• Our Demand: We warned that China is not a neutral party but is complicating Myanmar’s future through the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC) and rare earth mining.• What Congress Heard: This was a central theme. Ambassador Currie stated clearly: “The main beneficiary… is the People’s Republic of China.” She explained China wants Burma “weak, divided, and dependent” to exploit its resources, vindicating our warning that Beijing is the regime’s “decisive enabler.”
- Recognize ASEAN’s Ineffectiveness• Our Demand: We argued the ASEAN Five-Point Consensus has failed and new approaches are needed.• What Congress Heard: Ambassador Currie bluntly stated the Five-Point Consensus “wasn’t viable from the minute the ink was dry” and that allowing it to drive US policy was a “mistake.” The hearing consensus was that the US needs its own policy rather than hiding behind ASEAN’s failure.
- Acknowledge the Self-Funded Revolution• Our Demand: We highlighted that the resistance is sustaining itself through the determination of the people, without major outside help.• What Congress Heard: Ambassador Currie called the resistance a “DIY revolution,” stating they are “winning without any help from us or anybody else.” This powerful phrase encapsulates exactly what we have been telling Congress: the people are doing the work; we just need you to stop holding them back.
- Leverage Strategic Rare Earth Elements (REE)• Our Demand: We pointed out that Myanmar supplies over 50% of global REEs, presenting a strategic opportunity for the US to counterbalance China.• What Congress Heard: Chairwoman Kim and others noted the “critical mineral initiatives” and “supply chain security” as key US interests. Witnesses confirmed that China is exploiting Myanmar’s rare earths and that the conflict presents an opportunity for the US to strengthen its own strategic position in this sector.
- Engage the Arakan Army (AA)• Our Demand: We noted the AA’s control of critical territory in Rakhine State and urged engagement.• What Congress Heard: The hearing discussed the AA’s “massacre” of Rohingya but also acknowledged their significant territorial control. While the context was critical of rights abuses, the strategic reality of the AA’s dominance in the region was a focal point, confirming they are an unavoidable actor that requires a clear US strategy.
- Reject Power-Sharing with the Military• Our Demand: We stated the people overwhelmingly oppose any role for the military in politics.• What Congress Heard: Mr Ross and others argued that the military is the “primary driver of instability” and that the US should “reject the military planned elections” and the regime that emerges. The testimony supported a future without the military in power, aligning with the people’s desire for systemic reform.
- Combat Myths About Extremism• Our Demand: We refuted narratives portraying resistance groups as terrorists.• What Congress Heard: Far from labeling them extremists, the hearing recognized the resistance as legitimate “pro-democracy advocates” fighting for their liberty. Witnesses praised the resilience of the people fighting for “federal democratic systems,” effectively burying the junta’s “terrorist” label.
- Understand the Broader Context: Rohingya Crisis as One of Many Issues• Our Demand: We urged Congress to see beyond single issues and understand the struggle as a holistic fight for democracy and self-determination. Critically, we emphasized that while the Rohingya crisis is a catastrophic humanitarian tragedy that demands urgent attention, it is not the only issue facing Burma. The country faces a multifaceted crisis affecting all of its people: Burmans, Shan, Kachin, Chin, Rakhine, and other ethnic groups are all suffering under junta oppression. The civil war, the scam centers, the collapse of public services, the displacement of millions—these are national crises that transcend any single ethnic or religious group.• What Congress Heard: Representative Huizenga and others acknowledged the complexity, noting the “civil war between the military junta and the ethnic resistance organizations” is a fight for a “safe and stable and secure Burma” for all its people. The hearing treated the crisis not just through the lens of the Rohingya tragedy, but as a pivotal political and humanitarian struggle affecting the entire nation. Witnesses like Lucky Karim brought the Rohingya perspective to the fore, but the broader testimony made clear that Burma’s future depends on addressing the governance failure and authoritarianism that endangers all Burmese citizens.
One point bears particular emphasis. While the November 19 hearing appropriately highlighted the Rohingya genocide and the humanitarian catastrophe in Cox’s Bazar, the message was clear: this is one tragedy among many in a nation in crisis.
The 3.6 million internally displaced persons are not all Rohingya. The scam centers enslaving thousands come from multiple ethnic backgrounds. The families fleeing junta airstrikes in Rakhine, Sagaing, and Karen States represent the breadth of Burma’s suffering. The resistance fighting on the frontlines includes Shan, Kachin, Chin, Arakan and Bamar fighters alongside the broader pro-democracy movement. This is why our letter to Congress emphasized the need for a comprehensive approach. Too often, international focus on Burma gets narrowed to a single catastrophe, allowing the regime to exploit compartmentalization and play different actors against one another.
Congress heard this message: the US must support all of Burma’s people in their struggle for freedom, justice, and democratic governance—not just advocate for one community while ignoring the suffering of millions of others. The lobbyists tried to silence us. The pretenders tried to ignore us. But the record stands. The US Congress now sees the landscape of Burma with clarity: a failing criminal junta, a predatory neighbor in Beijing, and a resilient people—Burmans, Rohingya, Shan, Kachin, Chin and all others—fighting for their own liberation. The truth has prevailed, and now, policy must follow.
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James Shwe is a semi-retired professional engineer based in Los Angeles who has for years worked to inform the Myanmar and diaspora communities about the importance of grassroots advocacy in the United States, particularly in Congress and at the state level.
He is a regular contributor to the Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB), Mizzima, The Irrawaddy, and Eurasia Review, and focuses on raising awareness of developments in Myanmar and sharing the perspectives of its people with both American audiences and the broader international community.
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