Will the International Donors leave Kachin people of Burma in the dark?

By Zin Linn Jun 14, 2012 11:01PM UTC

Chairman of the Union Peace-making Central Committee, President of Myanmar (Burma) Thein Sein received a delegation from Peace Donor Support Group (PDSG) coordinators Norway, United Nations, Australia, Britain, the World Bank and European Union at Myanmar International Convention Centre in Naypyitaw on 12 June, the state-run New Light of Myanmar Daily said.

According to the newspaper, the President said that his government has been making efforts focusing on peace and stability and economic development. Peace and stability is the first requirement of the country whose democracy is budding with little democratic experience and practice, he said. Accordingly, his government has taken essential measures so that all can participate in political process, Thein Sein told the PDSG delegation.

In his discussion, the President said that since the government has taken the office, it has made contact with those armed group separately and made contacts and built somewhat understanding with 10 out of 11 armed groups. The government also has initiated contacts with the KIA group in Kachin State and it is believed to see the good results sooner, Thein Sein said.

However, last month, one remarkable meeting of the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC) was held from May 8 to 9 2012, on the Thai-Burma border.  It was attended by the UNFC central executive committee members and top leaders of the member organizations. At this meeting, serious discussion was held on Burma Army’s military offensive against the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), as the main target. The UNFC issued a statement with an ultimatum to Burma Army to stop military offensives in Kachin State by June 10, 2012 during the meeting.

 The statement said, “if the Burma Army (Government armed forces) does not stop its transgression and military offensives in Kachin State by June 10, 2012, UNFC members, who have agreed ceasefire with U Thein Sein government, have decided to review the peace process and future programs, including the preliminary ceasefire agreements reached.”

The members of the UNFC are Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), Karen National Union (KNU), Karenni National Progressive Party ( KNPP), Chin National Front (CNF), New Mon State Party (NMSP), Shan State Progress Party  (SSPP), Pa-ao National Liberation Organization (PNLO), Palaung State Liberation Front ( PSLF), Arakan National Council (ANC), Lahu Democratic Union, Wa National Organization (WNO) and Kachin National Organization (KNO).

At the start of this year, most members of UNFC agreed to a ceasefire agreement with the Burmese government. The KNU, which fought against the Burmese government for six decades, also took the ceasefire in January, which publicizes the government’s efforts of peace promise in the country.

There are many different ethnic groups in Burma. The ethic leaders said that it is essential to have ethic unity in order to have development and peace in the country. With the purpose of having this, the government needed to solve the political problems through dialogue and negotiation.

Unfortunately, the UNFC’s deadline to end military offensives in Kachin State has disregarded since riots in Rakhine State arrest public attention. Burma Army’s activities in Kachin State indicate that scenario for an ending to the warfare has died away because more government’s troops has been deployed more and more and fighting has been ongoing almost every day in Kachin and Shan State.

One noteworthy comment in the UNFC’s statement said that the objective of Burma Army’s offensives in Northern Shan State and Kachin State is to protect foreign investments’ mega business projects. The UNFC members oppose brutal military offensives and the killing of fellow citizens, for the benefit of foreign interest. UNFC members also support the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), the Kachin people’s militia and their allied forces resisting transgression of the government’s aggressive forces.

Meanwhile, the state media highlighted that the Australian Ambassador had strongly supported the reform process of Myanmar (Burma). The Australian Foreign Minister had paid a visit to Myanmar and contributed USD 5 Million for health care services. The British ambassador said the British Prime Minister recognized reforms and fully support implementing the process based on partnership. He said Britain would provide US$ 5 million assistance package for currently needed sectors and US$ 300 million for coming three years.

Besides, the EU resident envoy said to assist Euro 150 million for development programmes in 2012-2013 fiscal year. EU planned to provide technical assistances and initial cash aid package of Euro 3-4 million for clearing landmines and would provide sector-wise assistances. The World Bank is in negotiation with Myanmar officials to provide cash and technical assistances in construction of infrastructures and socioeconomic improvement as well as in paying debts. After the debts have been paid off, Myanmar would be able to borrow US$ 300 million yearly.

In contrast, HRW said in its report released on 20 March that the Burmese government has committed serious abuses and blocked humanitarian aid to tens of thousands of displaced civilians since June 2011, in fighting in Burma’s northern Kachin State. Some 75,000 ethnic Kachin displaced persons and refugees are in desperate need of food, medicine, and shelter, HRW said.

The Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) has made constant attempts to talk for a proper peace in Kachin State. However, the Thein Sein government has delayed to talk about political solutions proposed by KIO before a ceasefire.

If Western democracies truly want a satisfactory reform in Burma,   they should not neglect the ongoing war in Kachin State which may damage the whole process at any time soon. Even some analysts believe that current Rakhine unrest may not go up into such big volume if the government properly tackles it.

Despite tackling the issue acceptably, government’s media somewhat instigate the racial violence in western Burma. So, some consider the regime’s stance as shifting the people’s awareness from unjust war in Kachin State plus its domestic emergencies.  Peace Donor Support Group (PDSG) coordinators should not abandon 75,000 ethnic Kachin displaced persons in the dark.

Link: http://asiancorrespondent.com/84284/will-the-international-donors-leave-kachin-people-of-burma-in-the-dark/

Abuses overshadow Myanmar elections

by Staff Writers
Yangon, Myanmar (UPI) Mar 23, 2012

disclaimer: image is for illustration purposes only

The international community should not be over-awed by Myanmar's more open political climate when serious human rights issues remain in remote states fighting for independence, a human rights group said.

Myanmar's army "is committing unchecked abuses in Kachin state while the government blocks humanitarian aid to those most in need," said Elaine Pearson, deputy Asia director of Human Rights Watch.

"Both the army and Kachin rebels need to act to prevent a bad situation for civilians from getting even worse," she said at the launch of a report on the situation in Kachin state at the northern tip of Myanmar, formerly called Burma.

Human Rights Watch's 83-page report, "Untold Miseries': Wartime Abuses and Forced Displacement in Burma's Kachin State," describes how the Myanmar army has "attacked Kachin villages, razed homes, pillaged properties and forced the displacement of tens of thousands of people."

The report comes after a nominal cease-fire was broken in June last year and clashes have become more frequent between the army and rebel groups.

The majority of Kachin's population of nearly 1.3 million is ethnic Kachin, also known as Jinghpaw or Rawang. Other ethnic groups including Bamar and Shanm live in Kachin, nestled at the foot of the Himalayas and bordering China.

There is also a small, unrecorded number of Tibetans living in Kachin, an important factor in the ethnic balance of the region. China, which controls Tibet, is a big trading partner with the Kachin.

Official government statistics state that nearly 60 percent of the Kachin state is Buddhist and just more than one-third is Christian.

The conflict in Kachin has been simmering since the British quit Myanmar in 1948, although a shaky cease-fire was set up nearly 20 years ago.

Kachin rebel groups as well as those in Karen and Mons states further south, urged their people to boycott the November 2010 national elections in which the military rulers were running as civilian candidates.

But the open fighting that erupted in June last year has sounded alarm bells for human rights groups.

Human Rights Watch's report said Myanmar soldiers have threatened and tortured civilians during interrogations and raped women.

"The army also has used anti-personnel mines and conscripted forced laborers, including children as young as 14, on the front lines," the report said.

Around 75,000 ethnic Kachin displaced persons and refugees "are in desperate need of food, medicine and shelter," the report said.

"Both the army and Kachin rebels need to act to prevent a bad situation for civilians from getting even worse," said Pearson.

Human Rights Watch also criticizes the Kachin Independence Army for being "involved in serious abuses, including using child soldiers and anti-personnel mines."

"Both sides' use of mines, which do not discriminate between combatants and civilians, will complicate the safe return of displaced civilians to their villages when hostilities cease," the report noted.

The report acknowledged the "hopeful human rights developments" in lowland Myanmar -- the southern part of the country along the coast. Developments include the release of prominent political prisoners, a "spate of legal reforms" and greater media freedom.

Next month Myanmar is having by-elections for 48 seats in Parliament and the government has invited international observers, including from the Association of South East Asian Nations, the United States and the European Union.

"There's still a long way to go before the people of Burma, particularly those in conflict areas, benefit from recent promises of reform," Pearson said. "The international community should not become complacent about the serious human rights violations still plaguing Burma."

To ease the situation the government should ask the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to set up an office in Myanmar to promote and monitor protection of civilians.

"An objective investigation into abuses in Burma's ethnic areas won't happen unless the United Nations is involved and such an effort can help deter future abuses," Pearson said.

The report also criticizes Myanmar's National Human Rights Commission, set up in September, for being ineffectual in speaking out and investigating alleged cases of abuses carried out by all side in Kachin.

Human Rights Watch pointed to the announcement last month by commission Chairman Win Mra that it wouldn't investigate allegations of abuses in the country's ethnic armed conflict areas due to the government's efforts to negotiate cease-fires.

A brief note in the government newspaper New Light of Myanmar in September announced the creation of the commission, saying it was for "promoting and safeguarding fundamental rights of citizens described in the constitution."

But analysts questioned whether the commission's retired civil servants and scholars would have the will or the ability to challenge the government.

In December a delegation of eight commission members, including its chairman, visited the notorious Insein prison as well as two other prisons. They were investigating reports by Amnesty International that recent hunger strikers claimed they lived in "dog cells" and were deprived of water.

Insein, in Yangon -- the old capital formerly called Rangoon -- gained notoriety under Myanmar's several decades of military rule. Junta members imprisoned political activists and pro-democracy leaders in the facility. Inmates included the winner of the 1990 national election and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi who served several sentences at Insein.

Suu Kyi, now free, is running for a seat in the by-elections next month.

After being escorted around the prison and interviewing three former hunger strikers, the commission concluded the allegations were "untrue," New Light of Myanmar said.

However, the prison was, the commission said, overcrowded.

Related Links
Democracy in the 21st century at TerraDaily.com


Link : http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Abuses_overshadow_Myanmar_elections_999.html

Burma's Christians continue to face discrimination

Crimes against humanity are continuing in Burma's ethnic areas despite the country's tentative steps towards democracy

Posted: Tuesday, March 27, 2012, 9:49 (BST)

CSW has received reports of Burma Army soldiers interfering in Christian activities AP

Christian Solidarity Worldwide has called upon the international community to closely monitor Burma after soldiers from the Burma Army reportedly ransacked a village church and disrupted a Christian meeting.

The Rev Jangmaw Gam Maw reports that soldiers entered the Sin Lum Pang Mu Baptist Church in Pang Mu village on 13 March and proceeded to burn Bibles and destroy church property.

The soldiers also stole a video player, loudspeakers, money from the church donation boxes, and villagers' belongings.

According to Christian Solidarity Worldwide, the soldiers claimed that the property belonged to a Kachin Independence Army outpost.

The attack on the church came two days after Burma Army soldiers reportedly disrupted a Christian conference in Sabawngte village in southern Chin State.

More than a 1,000 Christians from the Mara (Chin) Evangelical Church were at the conference, which had official permission.

The Chin Human Rights Organisation (CHRO) reports that several soldiers disrupted the meeting and rebuked the village headman for not reporting the event to the army camp. When an MP from the Ethnic National Development Party tried to intervene, he was threatened at gunpoint.

Benedict Rogers, East Asia Team Leader at Christian Solidarity Worldwide, said the incidents suggest that there is still a "very long way to go" in Burma's reform process.

He said that the international community needed to be "cautious" about lifting too many sanctions too quickly.

While there had been "atmospheric change" in Rangoon and the urban areas, there had not yet been "substantial institutional, legislative and constitutional change that will make reform irreversible", he said.

Mr Rogers recommended a gradual lifting of sanctions in proportion to developments on the ground, with the retention of some measures "until further genuine change is secured".

"We have seen very welcome progress in Burma at some levels in recent months, but the Burma Army continues to perpetrate grave violations of human rights in the ethnic areas, which include religious discrimination and persecution of minorities," he said.

"Religious freedom is a fundamental value in any democratic society, and so if the Burmese government is serious about reform, it must protect religious freedom. We urge the international community to monitor the situation closely.

"In the ethnic areas, crimes against humanity continue. We call upon President Thein Sein and all reform-minded officials in the Burmese government to take action to end the military's abuses, and to protect human rights, including religious freedom, for all."