Participants of the rally said they have gathered to raise awareness on the Tatmadaw’s military attacks in the Karen State and other ethnic areas even though the state has already signed the nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA) and highlight the lack of action taken against the Tatmadaw, which continues to commit military crimes.

Around 20,000 people gathered in Washington, D.C from 10 am to 2 pm and made five-point demands including the need to increase sanctions against the Tatmadaw if it fails to follow the NCA and for the U.S. government to push for the International Criminal Court (ICC)'s persecution of military leaders for committing human rights violations.

“This rally represents the entire Karen people. I have participated in this rally to free our Karen people from chauvinism,” said Saw Sar Ka Lo Htoo, who participated in the rally in Washington, D.C.

A senator from Ohio delivered a speech during the rally and two senators told the rally participants that they will urge the parliament to increase economic sanctions against the Tatmadaw, according to the participants.

The Karen Community of Canada (KCC) also rallied in front of the Parliament Hill in the country’s capital Ottawa and released a statement to urge the Canadian government to hold the Tatmadaw accountable for human rights violations against ethnic people including the Karen people and transfer the military leaders that committed the crimes to the International Criminal Court.

The KCC also urged the Canadian government to impose sanctions against the leaders of the existing civilian government for keeping silent on the human rights violations committed by the military including the Tatmadaw Commander-in-Chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.

In a statement released by the New Zealand Karen Association on June 18, the association stated that it stands in solidarity with the Karen people living in the U.S. to show support for all ethnic nationalities suffering under the hands of the Tatmadaw. The association urged the United Nations, the European Union, and the U.S. to intervene in order to resolve the conflicts through true arbitration to enforce the nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA) and respect all nationalities’ right to life in their homeland.

Over 240 Karen people living in Australia held a protest in front of the Myanmar Embassy in Canberra on May 25 to protest over human rights violations committed by the Tatmadaw in ethnic areas.

Karen social organizations from the Thai-Myanmar border have recently released statements to support the rallies held by Karen people abroad. Internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Ei Tu Hta IDP Camp under the Karen National Union (KNU) Hpa-pun District also held activities to support the rallies.

Led by the Karen Organization of the United States of America (KOUSA), around 10,000 Karen people and other ethnic nationalities from over 30 states in the U.S and Canada staged a rally in Washington, D.C on November 6, 2017.