One Thousand Letters Call On European Commission To Fund Cross-Border Aid

By Burma Campaign UK • June 28, 2010

More than 1,000 supporters of Burma Campaign UK have written letters to Kristalina Georgieva, the European Commissioner responsible for European Union aid, calling on the Commission to review its policy of refusing to fund cross-border aid to Burma.

Restrictions on humanitarian aid by the dictatorship in Burma mean that there are parts of the country where international agencies, and even local official NGOs, cannot reach. In these areas the only way to provide life-saving aid is for local people to travel to Thailand or other neighbouring countries and then bring the aid into Burma from across the border.

The European Commission has consistently refused to fund such aid, and has failed to provide an adequate explanation as to why, instead making vague statements about accountability and monitoring. This argument is not credible, as the British government and other EU members with strict monitoring requirements are satisfied with monitoring of cross-border aid.

There are around 100,000 Internally Displaced People in Eastern Burma who are in need of cross-border aid, and around 2.5 million people in Eastern Burma for whom cross-border assistance is the only or easiest way to deliver aid. Cross-border aid is also needed in other states in Burma.

In particular, cross-border medical aid to Eastern Burma is desperately needed. The area has levels of poverty and disease as bad as those in the worst conflict hit African countries.

The European Parliament has repeatedly called on the European Commission to fund cross-border aid, but has been ignored by the Commission.

“The European Commission should be funding aid on the basis of need, and not allow the dictatorship to stop aid to ethnic people for political reasons,” said Zoya Phan, International Coordinator for Burma Campaign UK, and who herself was an internally displaced person after her village was attacked by the dictatorship. “Rather than let people die because of restrictions by the dictatorship, the Commission must fund cross-border aid as an alternative which will save lives. We should not have a situation where the generals in Burma have more control over who gets aid than European taxpayers and MEPs.”

For more information contact Zoya Phan on 07738630139.