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Myanmar

55 organisations worldwide call for action for peace on Kachin anniversary

Three years ago today, the Burma Army broke a 17-year ceasefire with the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and unleashed a major new military offensive against the Kachin people. Since 9 June 2011, over 120,000 Kachin people have been displaced, forced to flee their homes. At least 200 villages have been destroyed. A humanitarian emergency unfolded, with a desperate need for shelter, food and medical care. As the Kachin Peace Talk Creation Group has said, "the impact of the war this time has been enormous. Many have lost land, plantations, livelihood. Those people can no longer support their children. People are living in the middle of nowhere, hopeless, desperate, suffering...People are hopeless and desperately need help."

In recent months several rounds of peace talks have been held and hopes for peace have been raised. However, even as the Government and the Burma Army have engaged in talks with the Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO) and its armed wing, the KIA, attacks by the Burma Army have continued and the situation remains unstable. On 10 April 2014, Burma Army soldiers attacked the Lagat Yang camp for internally displaced peoples, forcing IDPs to flee. Since the beginning of May, fighting has continued in Mungbaw, resulting in at least 500 IDPs seeking shelter in Muse.

Since breaking the ceasefire the Burma Army and the government of Burma have committed myriad human rights violations with absolute impunity. Among the more heinous abuses are credible allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity, which merit immediate investigation. These criminal acts include grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions such as the deliberate targeting of civilians by military forces, rape and other forms of sexual violence, extrajudicial executions, arbitrary detention, torture, and restrictions on the provision of humanitarian assistance. Such violations could amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity. Immediate, thorough, and impartial investigation into these and all allegations of serious human rights abuses must be conducted. Suspected perpetrators must answer for their crimes before a competent judicial authority, and victims of serious rights abuses must be afforded the justice they deserve.

On this third anniversary of the resumption of war against the Kachin, the undersigned organisations, representing members of the European Burma Network, Kachin civil society organisations and other concerned groups around the world, make the following urgent recommendations:

  1. We call on the Government of Burma and the Burma Army to immediately cease its attacks in Kachin State, to end hostilities, establish peace and withdraw to positions held before the ceasefire was broken;

  2. We call on all parties to the conflict to fully respect and protect international humanitarian and human rights laws;

  3. We call for urgent protection for internally displaced people, and unhindered international humanitarian access to all parts of Kachin and Northern Shan States;

  4. We call on the international community to provide urgently needed humanitarian assistance to the internally displaced people in Kachin and Northern Shan States;

  5. We urge the People’s Republic of China to respect the principle of ’non-refoulement’, as set out in international humanitarian law, and respect the rights of refugees;

  6. We urge the government of Burma to provide full compensation to all those displaced by the conflict, to enable them to rebuild homes, businesses, schools, clinics, farms, and for suffering caused;

  7. Given the refusal of the government of Burma to investigate and act to end the use of rape and sexual violence, the international community should establish an independent investigation into the use of rape and sexual violence;

  8. Women must be involved in the peace process and future dialogue to agree a political settlement.

  9. We call on the President of Burma and the head of the Military to publicly commit to constitutional reform to establish a federal system of government, and enter into immediate dialogue to achieve this goal;

We call for immediate steps to build trust and strengthen dialogue, and hope that three years of war will be brought to an end soon and that the people of Kachin and Northern Shan States will be able to live in genuine freedom with lasting peace.

  1. Actions Birmanie

  2. All Kachin Students and Youth Union (AKSYU)

  3. ALTSEAN-Burma

  4. ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR)

  5. Association Suisse Birmanie

  6. Burma Action Ireland

  7. Burma Aktion (Germany)

  8. Burma Campaign UK

  9. Burma Info (Japan)

  10. Burma Partnership

  11. Chin Human Rights Organization

  12. Children on the Edge

  13. Christian Solidarity Worldwide

  14. Committee for Restoration of Democracy in Burma C.R.D.B (Germany)

  15. FIDH (International Federation for Human Rights)

  16. Fortify Rights

  17. Free Burma Campaign (South Africa)(FBC(SA))

  18. Free Youth Burma

  19. Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust (HART)

  20. Humanity Institute

  21. Info Birmanie

  22. Institute for Asian Democracy

  23. Inter Pares

  24. Kachin Association Norway (KAN)

  25. Kachin Baptist Church Denmark (KBC.DK)

  26. Kachin Community- The Netherland

  27. Kachin Community- Sweden

  28. Kachin Community-UK

  29. Kachin Development Networking Group

  30. Kachin Relief Fund-UK

  31. Kachin Refugee Committee (KRC) Malaysia

  32. Kachin Development Foundation, USA

  33. Kachin National Organisation-Australia

  34. Kachin National Organisation-Denmark

  35. Kachin National Organisation-India

  36. Kachin National Organisation- Japan

  37. Kachin National Organisation-Malaysia

  38. Kachin National Organisation-Thailand

  39. Kachin National Organisation- UK

  40. Kachin National Organisation-USA

  41. Kachin Literature and Culture Committee- Singapore (JLH-Singapore)

  42. Kachin Peace Network

  43. Kachin Politics Watch and Research Network

  44. Kachin Women Peace Network

  45. Kachin Women Union

  46. Karenaid

  47. New Zealand Kachin Community

  48. Norwegian Burma Committee

  49. Pan Kachin Development Society

  50. Partners Relief & Development UK

  51. Research and Translation Consultancy Cluster

  52. Society for Threatened Peoples

  53. Swedish Burma Committee

  54. U.S. Campaign for Burma

  55. Voice of Women