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

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 […]

Aid and Development Plans Undermined by Sustained Military Offensive

In the week that the Nay Pyi Taw Accord for Effective Development Cooperation was signed between the Burma government and international donors and NGOs outlining the big picture plans for aid and development, the full-blown offensive in Kachin State has reached a crisis point.

The document, as expected, is teeming with the current language and concepts of the development industry. Participatory approaches when engaging with civil society, increasing the transparency and effectiveness of government initiatives, pro-poor strategies, and accountability are all mentioned. Statements and announcements made by the government usually sound a lot better than how they are actually implemented. The promised joint review board for political prisoners has not yet materialised, various commissions set up to investigate acts of violence in Arakan State, the crackdown on peaceful protesters at Letpadaung copper mine, and nationwide land confiscations have not produced any tangible, progressive results. A few days after the signing of the accord, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank announced new loans to the Burma government, totalling around US$950 million. Annette Dixon, the World Bank’s Country Director for Burma praised the “unprecedented reforms to improve people’s lives, especially the poor and vulnerable.”

These discussions of progress, lofty ideals, and fashionable development concepts between the central government and international agencies in the expansive new capital of Naypyidaw are in stark contrast with the plight of Kachin people in the far north of the country. The Burma Army is continuing its advance toward the town of Laiza, the last outpost of Kachin Independence Army (KIA) controlled territory, as more and more civilians suffer from the ongoing assault in their homeland. It was reported that on Saturday a strategic mountain post was taken after a sustained, heavy Burma Army assault, and many fear that it is only a matter of time before Laiza is taken. Already, around half of its population has fled […]

Statement to the Chinese Consulate, Chiang Mai

Since the resumption of conflict between the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and the Burmese government army in June 2011, it has been the government which has been one-sidedly launching offensives for the past 19 months. This has caused over 100,000 Kachin people, including women and children, to flee their homes and seek safe shelter elsewhere […]

Statement to the US Consulate, Chiang Mai

Since the resumption of conflict between the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and the Burmese government army in June 2011, it has been the government which has been one-sidedly launching offensives for the past 19 months. This has caused over 100,000 Kachin people, including women and children, to flee their homes and seek safe shelter elsewhere […]

Ongoing Conflict in Burma’s Kachin State

The United States is deeply concerned by ongoing violence in Burma’s Kachin State. Despite the Burmese government’s announcement that a ceasefire was to take effect on January 19, media and NGO reports indicate that the Burmese Army continues a military offensive in the vicinity of the Kachin Independence Army headquarters in Laiza […]

EU Should Re-Introduce Visa Ban on Military

We, the undersigned members and observers of the European Burma Network, condemn the ongoing attacks on the Kachin people and call on the international community to put pressure on President Thein Sein and the Burmese Army to immediately end the military offensive in Northern Burma and allow access to humanitarian aid for internally displaced persons […]

Urgent Call on ASEAN to Help Halt Intensifying Conflict in Kachin State in Burma

We are movements and organizations calling on the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) to add its voice and heed mounting international calls for an immediate stop to the continuing attacks on the Kachin people in Burma.

The Asia Pacific Solidarity Coalition (APSOC) and the signatories below urges all ASEAN governments to end its silence on the humanitarian challenges happening within its own backyard and compel the Burmese government to stand down and stop the violence it is perpetrating in Kachin state […]

Press Release on the Ceasefire Announcement at the Laja Yang by the Burmese Government on 18th January 2013

1). The Burmese army continues unjust military offensives in Laja Yang and other parts of Kachinland despite the Burmese government announcing a one-sided deceptive ceasefire applied only to Laja Yang area […]

Burma: Halt Indiscriminate Attacks in Kachin State

The Burmese army appears to have indiscriminately shelled the town of Laiza in northern Burma’s Kachin State in violation of the laws of war, Human Rights Watch said today. Human Rights Watch urged the government to allow humanitarian agencies access to tens of thousands of ethnic Kachin displaced […]

CFOB Concerned with Kachin Conflicts in Northern Burma

Canadian Friends of Burma (CFOB) is concerned with escalating conflicts in Kachin State of Burma, especially reports on civilian casualty and the use of heavy artilleries and air forces. We call on the Government of Canada and international community to help stop the conflicts by using its diplomatic channels and to help alleviate the sufferings of 100,00 refugees in the conflict zones by providing emergency humanitarian assistance […]