Shan Herald Agency for News |
| Kachins rally at Burmese consulate in Chiang Mai Posted: 05 Jan 2017 05:54 AM PST Dozens of expatriate Kachin people staged a protest today in front of the Burmese consulate in the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai, calling for a cessation to the armed conflict in Kachin State and northern Shan State.  According to a statement released by the protesters, Burmese government forces continue to oppress the ethnic people in those regions despite the election of a democratic leadership in Burma in November 2015. "In September 2016, government forces attacked the Kachin outpost of Laipaung," read the statement. "Each time they launched an assault, they employed heavy weapons, assisted by fighting jets to conduct bombing raids. Each time they dropped more than 1,000 bombs. What's more, they bombed a refugee camp, causing a huge impact on those refugees." Speaking to Shan Herald, Jai Ji, one of the organizers, accused the Burmese armed forces of targeting places where civilians had sought refuge or shelter. "People are suffering due to the actions of the tatmadaw [Burmese military]," he said. "This is a very cold time of year, and people suffer when they have to abandon their homes." Thursday's statement also claimed that, since 2011, the Burmese armed forces' offensives in Kachin State have compelled civilians to flee their homes and villages, but they have been frequently prevented from crossing the border into China. It said many had been left on the side of the road without any protection. Rally spokesperson Nawkham said, "We requested assistance from the Chinese government for the refugees from Kachin State, and asked that they be treated in accordance with the principles of human rights. We also asked the Chinese government to put pressure on the Burmese military to put an end to the fighting in Kachin State and northern Shan State." The protesters also demanded justice for the families of two teachers who had disappeared in Mong Koe, northern Shan State. The demonstrators' statement went on to allege that the Russian military was aiding and abetting the Burmese army in its conflict with Kachin rebels. It urged Moscow to investigate this claim and bring those involved to justice. The Kachin Independence Army (KIA) signed a ceasefire agreement with the then-ruling Burmese military junta in 1994. However, in 2011, the ceasefire was broken, and hostilities have continued to date. On November 20, the KIA, alongside its allies the Arakan Army (AA), Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), and Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), coordinated assaults on Burmese military positions in areas across northern Shan State, including Muse, Namkham, Namhsan, Kutkai, Namtu, Kyaukme, Hsenwi and Mantong. The Burmese army soon brought in reinforcements to recapture its strongholds, and the fighting has since intensified. By Shan Herald Agency for News (SHAN) | ||
| Namtu struggles to cope with onslaught of IDPs Posted: 04 Jan 2017 11:38 PM PST Ongoing hostilities between Burmese government forces and ethnic armed groups in northern Shan State's Mantong Township have compelled some 1,300 civilians to flee their homes since the beginning of January, according to a local aid worker.
Sai Ba Nyan, the head of humanitarian aid assistance in nearby Namtu Township, said that many of those villagers from Mantong had sought shelter in Namtu where local authorities had erected six camps for displaced persons. "We have about 1,300 displaced villagers sheltering in the town of Namtu," he said. "We are hosting them at the temples and churches. Civil society groups have banded together to collect donations to help them. In the short term, we have enough, but if they are forced to stay here longer there will be a problem with food supplies. He added: "We plan to relocate these families to Kyo Saw by the end of this month. There is enough space in that village and we have built makeshift shelters for them. Staying in temple compounds is inconvenient, and we are concerned about the villagers' health." According to an updated report from the Ta'ang National Liberation Army's News and Information Department, clashes between Ta'ang rebels and the Burmese army have broken out recently in the townships of Namsan, Namtu, Mantong, Kyaukme and Kutkhai. On December 16, 2016, Shan Herald reported that hundreds of civilians from Kyaukme Township had been displaced due to a forced recruitment drive by the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA). Fighting in northern Shan State has intensified since the newly proclaimed Northern Alliance – comprising the TNLA, Arakan Army (AA), Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and Myanmar Nationalities Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) – launched joint operations against Burmese military positions on November 20 last year. Clashes have continued across northern Shan State, forcing thousands more civilians from their homes, many of whom have since returned to their villages, while others remain scattered across the region or in Chinese border towns. By Shan Herald Agency for News (SHAN) |
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