Kachin CSOs Demand Burmese Army to Withdraw its Troops

KLN, May 24, 2014

A group of Kachin civil society organizations on Friday released a statement demanding Burmese Army to withdraw its troops from all Kachin conflict areas. 17 Kachin CSOs that include religious, health, civil rights, women’s rights, legal, environmental, and humanitarian organizations gathered in a KIO-controlled town Mai Ja Yang in a two-day conference held on May 21-22.

The group expressed concern over 4,000 IDPs who have been furthered displaced by recent Burmese army’s offensive operations in southern Kachin State and northern Shan State. The statement said, “These Burma Army operations appear aimed to clear out ethnic resistance forces from strategic transport and economic zones along the Burma-China border, and secure control over these areas, even while nationwide ceasefire negotiations are continuing.”

The latest round of offensive operations in Mansi began as about 1000 troops from Burmese army’s Magway-based 88^th Light Infantry Division (LID) and Theinni-based 16^th Military Operation Command (MOC-16) arrived near Man Win Gyi village in Kachin-Shan border on April 2 and surrounded the village which hosts thousands of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). Burmese army’s officers then threatened local KIA officers to allow census taking or face military actions.

Burmese army subsequently attacked and seized KIA’s 27th Battalion headquarters located at China-Burma border village Bang Hkam in Mansi Township and two frontline posts near Dagaw in Momauk Township. Local analysts said Burmese Army’s offensive against KIA was intended to have complete control over KIA’s Bang Hkam gate and Nam Wan/Nchawn bridge, one of the main thoroughfare that connects southern Kachin State and China’s Yunnan province, which are important for cross-border trade coupled with an earlier controversy stemming from the nationwide census.

Thousands of local residents from Nawng luk, Nawng Lum, Lahkum Pa, Nam Hka, Lagat Daw, Kyak Hpra, and Gawng Ngu Yang area in Mansi Township and Momauk Township had since fled their homes and IDP camps in fear for their lives. More villagers were displaced as military operations expanded to northern Shan State in the second week of April. Local residents from Mungpaw and Kawng Kha in Pangsai Township had fled to Muse and other towns.

Aid workers said Burmese army officers from 88^th Light Infantry Division allegedly asked IDP camp officials and IDPs to move out of the temporary camp or face artillery bombardment.  Conditions of IDPs who had fled the violence were further deteriorated by poor living conditions and Burmese army troops threatening them to move out of temporary camps and go back to their own villages where frequent skirmishes have been going on for weeks, said aid workers.

Kachin CSOs’ statement said, “The Burma Army must respect the rights of internally displaced people (IDPs) according to international humanitarian principles, in particular: they must not interrogate, threaten, or torture IDPs and they must not force IDPs to return against their will, especially when their safety cannot be guaranteed.”

Kachin CSOs also urged the international community, especially USA, UK, EU and China, not to provide any form of support to the Burma Army until there is a political settlement to the conflict. “International aid agencies should coordinate directly with local community based organizations in order to provide aid effectively,” the statement read.