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Condemnation of Burmese Regime’s Attacks on the Ethnic Ceasefire Groups to Provoke Civil War
By Kachin National Organization • June 13, 2011The root cause of Burma’s problems is denying equal rights to ethnic nationalities and the brutal dictatorship which is desperate to prolong state power by making enemies of its own people. The only solution to the conflict in Burma is inclusive and meaningful political dialogue; this cannot be achieved by military means.
The recent attacks to eliminate the ethnic armed groups prove the regime’s blatant disregard of the call for meaningful political dialogue from the international community, the ethnic nationalities, Aung San Suu Kyi and the Burmese democracy movement. The provocative attacks have ended 17 years of ceasefire with the Kachin Independent Army (KIA) and 22 years of ceasefire with the Shan State Army (North) in Northern Burma. The resumption of a painful civil war would bring nothing positive and the consequence would be that the lives of civilians would be placed again in a catastrophic humanitarian crisis.
Therefore, we, the Kachin National Organisation, strongly condemn the recent attacks on the Kachin Independent Army and Shan State Army (North) which are clearly intended to provoke civil war in northern Burma.
We demand the Burmese regime to halt the attacks immediately and call for a genuine nationwide ceasefire with all the ethnic armed groups.
We urge the United Nation’s Security Council to condemn such provocative acts and to activate the principle of the Responsibility to Protect. We call the international community to stand ready to respond with humanitarian assistance and protection to those who have to flee their native land.
We also urge Burma’s neighbouring countries, especially China, India and members of ASEAN, to put more pressure on the Burmese regime to promote long-overdue change for the Burmese people who aspire to peace and national reconciliation.
The ethnic ceasefire groups and armed revolutionary groups have common goals to advance the cause of regaining democracy through peaceful means in order to achieve rights, equality and self-determination in the affairs of individual ethnic national groups. All these goals can only be achieved by building a genuine Federal Democracy. This will require a spirit of co-operation and support more than ever before.
In this crucial time of difficulty, all Burma’s political stake holders must with renewed strength pursue the endeavour of building a political strategy with all those who share the common goal of bringing about the removal of the military’s governing institutions. We must stand firm in our position by joining hands in the battle against the insidious common enemy.
Central Committee:
Kachin National Council (KNC)
Kachin National Organisation (KNO)
Contact:
Duwa Laraw Bawmwang, President (+86 135 343 81969)
Duwa Hkunsa Mahkaw, General Secretary (+44 782 826 8801)
Download the press release in English, Burmese, and Kachin
This post is in: Crimes Against Humanity, Press Release
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