Karen in Europe Calls on the EU to Take Stronger Actions on the Attacks in Kachin State

By European Karen Network • February 1, 2013

Karen communities in Europe condemn the Burmese Army’s continuous attack against the Kachin people and calls on the Thein Sein government to stop making empty promises of ceasefire, and commit to a genuine nationwide ceasefire and genuine dialogue leading to a political solution in Burma.

Since the Burmese Army broke a 17-year ceasefire in Kachin State, the conflict has escalated and Kachin civilians have been facing serious human rights violations committed by the government’s troops including, extrajudicial killing, torture, mortar bombing civilians, forced displacement and sexual violence. These human rights abuses are very serious, they violate international law and amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity. As a result, around 100,000 of Kachin civilians have been forced to flee from their homes. Ten of thousands of Kachin refugees and Internally Displaced People (IDPs) remain without access to aid or humanitarian assistance.

European Karen Network is deeply concerned about the situation in Kachin State and Burma as a whole. The systematic targeting of ethnic communities across Burma is not a new tactic of the regime. A policy of divide and rule has been employed by the military government for many years, brokering a ceasefire in other ethnic areas while pursuing intensified conflict in another State.

We are disappointed at the pathetic response of the International community to the crisis in Kachin area. Once again, Thein Sein’s military-backed government has succeeded in convincing the international community it is bringing peace in the country while still waging war. The European Union has suspended most of it’s measures against the government in Burma while under Thein Sein, human rights violations has increased, conflict has intensified, the humanitarian situation is getting worse, hundreds of political activists remain in jails, and repressive laws remain in place. For ethnic people, there is little hope for a genuine political settlement to the ongoing tensions across Burma.

“Based on our own experiences during the Burmese Army’s military offensive against our villages, we know very well how the Burmese army targets civilians and how frightening it is to run for our lives. We were attacked with air strikes and mortar shelling. Sadly, these kinds of attacks haven’t ended” said Nant Bwa Bwa Phan, board member of the European Karen Network.

It is disturbing to learn that some of the weapons used by the Burmese Army are exported by India and manufactured in Sweden, despite the EU arms embargo. We call on the EU to urgently review the embargo to ensure that restrictions over munitions trading are strictly enforced.

We stand united with our Kachin brothers and sisters and demand the European Union to apply strong pressure on Thein Sein to stop the attacks against Kachin ethnic by:

extending suspension of sanctions and not relax any further sanction
applying strong pressure on Thein Sein to stop blocking aid in ethnic areas and for the EU to start providing financial assistance to local Kachin organisations
reviewing EU mechanisms for monitoring implementation of the arms embargo, with penalties for member states involved in violations of the arms embargo
members of the EU withdrawing invitations to President Thein Sein to visit their countries.

“We firmly believe that only through a clearly defined political settlement, which commits to the formation of a federal state and the granting of autonomy to the ethnic communities, will provide the long standing political solution to the country” said Htoo Ku Hsar Say, board member of the European Karen Network.

Tags: Armed Conflict, Ceasefire, European Karen Network, Kachin State

This post is in: Press Release

Karen in Europe Calls on the EU to Take Stronger Actions on the Attacks in Kachin State

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