KNO Calls Government of Pakistan to Stop Selling JF-17 Fighter Jets to Burmese Military

Statement by Jinghpaw Wunpawng Amyu Sha Hpung / Kachin National Organization | June 08, 2016

The KNO strongly urges the Government of Pakistan to stop selling JF-17 fighter jets to the Burmese military. Instead, we ask that they seek to promote the peace and security of marginalised ethnic people of Burma by supporting the call for unhindered access and the provision of urgent assistance to those in need of humanitarian support.

The KNO would like to bring to the attention of the Government of Pakistan that despite the so-called reforms in Burma, including a transfer of power in April to President Htin Kyaw, State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, and their party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), the evidence of ongoing internal military colonisation in ethnic areas is still obvious today. The Government of Burma is using ground offensives and airstrikes indiscriminately to eliminate ethnic groups and forcing them to accept being second class citizens of Burma.

On 9th June 2011, the Burma Army broke a 17-year long ceasefire with the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and unleashed a major new military offensive against the Kachin people. Over 120,000 Kachin civilians have been displaced after being forced to flee their homes. Since then, the Burma Army and the government of Burma have committed multiple human rights violations that break international law. These include the deliberate targeting of civilians, rape and other forms of sexual violence, arbitrary executions, arbitrary detention, torture, and restrictions upon the delivery of humanitarian assistance. These violations constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity.

As the so-called reformist Burmese government continues to justify its acts of violence by claiming that their military action was done in self-defence, the Government of Pakistan should take a proactive Position to pressure the Burmese government to cease further military action that would only intensify the conflict and inevitably result in widespread human rights abuses in Burma.

We call again to the Government of Pakistan that it should support the call for peace and ethnic rights of the struggling Kachin people and those of the rest of Burma.

Central Committee

Kachin National Organisation (KNO)

Contacts:

(1) Duwa Bawmwang Laraw, President, (KNC/KNO) (+ 66 810352195)

(2) Mr. Hkanhpa Sadan,General Secretary (KNC/KNO) (+44 7944240774)