Civil war in Kachin state of Burma is endlessly going
on and producing more and more refugees, IDPs and food shortage as well. Referring
local Kachin residents, the Kachinland News said that government's armed forces
are continuously pounding villages and Kachin Independence Army (KIA) locations
with heavy artillery shells. Minister for the President's office Aung Min
himself said in the last Ruili meeting on Oct 30 that 105 mm and 120 mm mortar
shells could only be fired by the authorization of Army's Chief-of-Staff of
Defense Services in Nay-Pyi-Taw.
The government army continued to reinforce its
frontline positions by sending more combat soldiers, ammunition and other
essential supplies to continue combat operations in Kachin region. Then it is
unquestionable that government army has been launching a hostile offensive at
present.
When President Thein Sein met national races
affairs ministers from regions and states at the Presidential Palace in
Nay-Pyi-Taw on September 7, he emphasized that national races live in the
country as blood brothers. As a result, he said, they have the basic rights of
citizens affirmed in the constitution.
During that occasion, Thein Sein also confessed
that border regions still failed to sustain development on education, health,
transportation, and the economy due to fragile stability and the problems with
rule of law. This has resulted conflicts with ethnic armed groups, he
acknowledged.
"Currently, peace negotiations are going on at
two levels, the first at region/state concerned. The process at region/state
level would be smoother with the participation of all local national races
including national races affairs ministers," the President told the state-run New
Light of Myanmar newspaper.
However, the fierce fighting goes on and both
sides suffer several causalities through 17-month old war. Why does the
government's military stubbornly stick to this unjust war?
"Serious political dialogue within the framework
of a robust peace process must take place to resolve the ongoing conflicts
among Burma's ethnic and religious groups. The plight of the Kachin is
often overlooked by the international community, and humanitarian conditions
are seriously deteriorating in Kachin State and Kachin refugee camps," Trent
Franks, a congressman of Arizona and co-chairman of the International Religious
Freedom Caucus, wrote an op-ed published by the Washington Times newspaper on
Monday. Franks's article underscores the uninterrupted conflict in Kachin state
coincided with US President Barack Obama's historic visit to Burma this week.
"Since the Burma Army broke the ceasefire
agreement in Kachin State in June 2011, at least 70,000 civilians have been
displaced from their villages. The atrocities committed against the Kachin
by the Burma Army may amount to war crimes or crimes against humanity and
should be zealously investigated and prosecuted as the evidence warrants," says
Trent Franks.
According to the local eyewitnesses, the Burmese
army has cruelly attacked Kachin villages, destroyed homes, looted properties,
and forced the displacement of tens of thousands of people. Soldiers have
threatened and tortured civilians during interrogations and raped women. The
army has also used anti-personnel mines. It continues recruiting forced
laborers, including immature children on the front lines.
Fighting has heaped on in jade-land Hpakant
Township and as a result over 10,000 civilians have been added up to existing
80,000 internally displaced persons. Local villagers fleeing from battle zones
have flooded Church compounds and monasteries in Hpakant and Seng Tawng city.
There are about 30,000 IDPs in Burmese government
controlled areas and about 60,000 IDPs are currently taking refuge in KIO
controlled areas. Several hundreds of civilians continue escaping their native
places because of scared of bullets, bombs, forced labors, rape, tortures and
violence.
In fact, the government's armed forces are behind
war crimes and crimes against humanity. The human rights violations of Burmese
soldiers in Kachin State are severe breaches of international laws. It is also
the duty of the current government to provide humanitarian assistance to
thousands of war refugees and internally displaced populations in various
ethnic states.
In his commentary, Trent Franks particularly
highlights the importance of ethnic representatives' participation in the
political dialogue.
Franks says, "Comprehensive and effective
dialogue on the overall situation in Burma cannot be conducted without these
leaders. Moreover, the U.S. must be careful to take no action that could
be interpreted as endorsement of any misconduct or human rights lapses by the
Burmese government or President Thein Sein, particularly while the Burmese
government is still dominated by the military with a very brutal past".
As Chairman of the Central Committee for Progress
of Border Areas and National Races, President Thein Sein gave an address at
1/2011-Meeting held at the President Office in Nay-Pyi-Taw in April. Thein Sein
emphasized in his speech that without national unity, the country with over 100
national races cannot enjoy peace and stability. So, the government has to
prioritize the national unity, he said.
In contrast, Burma army has been intensifying its strength in Shan, Kachin
and Karen States planning to clear out the ethnic armed forces defending their
self-determination. President Thein Sein's words and his army's movements are
poles apart.
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