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BURMA
More Displaced as Kachin Fighting Escalates
Kachin refugees flee fighting between the KIO and government troops. (PHOTO: The Irrawaddy)
Hostilities have been escalating in Burma’s northern Kachin State since early this week with community-based organizations saying that at least 90,000 civilians have been displaced so far.
Local groups released a joint statement on Wednesday that called on the Burmese government to end its offensives against the ethnic rebel Kachin Independence Organization (KIO).
KIO sources told The Irrawaddy that fighting has escalated since Monday, especially around the Hpakant jade mining region and the rebel’s Laiza headquarters where thousands of Kachin refugees are currently taking shelter.
Tu Ja, a pastor at a local Baptist church in Hpakant Town, said that a heavy explosion went off in the nearby Shrawng Kha area at around 5:30 pm on Wednesday evening. Government and KIO troops exchanged fire and a mortar shell landed on a store which stored explosive materials and fuel.
“The explosion was very powerful. Even though it was around three miles away, some houses in western Hpakant Town were shaking. It was like an earthquake,” said local resident Tachi Hla Sai who is also a member of the main opposition National League for Democracy.
He added that even more locals have been fleeing their homes this week and the population of displaced people in Hpakant Town has now reached 8,000. Farmers from 23 villages in Hpakant Township have fled the fighting since Aug. 18 while others are heading to the Kachin state capital Myitkyina to seek refuge, said Tachi Hla Sai.
The joint statement said that around 80 battalions of Burmese government troops separately launched attacks against the KIO and local people in Kachin and northern Shan state. The Kachin organizations also called on President Thein Sein’s government to end military offensives and take action against those forces that do not obey direct orders to cease hostilities.
The government must withdraw all its troops from KIO-controlled regions as the escalating conflict risked damaging the peace process with other ethnic armed groups as well as with the KIO, said the statement.
Peace talks between the government and KIO leadership are currently on hold as the government’s negotiation team still has not responded to an invitation for further discussions, claim the rebels.
The community-based organizations also condemned China for forcing refugees to return home despite the worsening situation in Kachin State. More than 2,000 Kachin civilians who sought refuge in China’s Yunnan Province have been sent back over the border since mid-August due to pressure by the Chinese authorities, claim aid workers.
One source with the Chinese Embassy in Rangoon told The Irrawaddy on Wednesday that the Burmese people currently living on the Chinese side of the border are visiting friends and relatives.
The official denied media reports that China was forcing Kachin refugees to return home against their will and denied such a policy was in place.
“During the day, they return to Burma to work and in the evenings they rest with their relatives on the Chinese side of the border. Once the situation improves, they will be able to return to their homes in Kachin State,” said the official.
The news agencies should seek an interview with the president office and commander in chief of Burmese armed forces to get a better picture of its version of view on current situation in Kachin State that leads both sides to sort out armed-conflict. Blaming on each other is not a sensible answer; both sides: KIO and Burmese Army, are to blame for this outbreak of armed-conflicts, and completely responsible for this deteriorating situation in the Kachin State, costing ordinary Kachin people a high price that lead their live to end up as refugees and internally displaced people within their own land.
I am quite sure that most weapons used by both sides to kill each other are made in China while the people of Burma are paying a high price in this calamity of Chinese weapon destruction power. What a good Business for China! These armed-conflicts in Burma will surely provide Chinese sales increase in its arm industry business.
It is time for all Burmese citizens, especially those with the power of turning this course around, to be very sensible, and stand against these non-sense wars among our country men.
A Burmese Freedom Fighter
Myanmarese need to stay on their own land. They have no business on the lands of the ethnics. The ethnics do not need them either. Myanmarese always make problems since day one.
The whole world must know…this is “Myanmar Issue”.as Kachin is Myanmar Ethnic..Rohingya is not Myanamr Issue….It is international issue… So For Myanmar Goverment, which one should be come first ?????????????………
Which is mean that Myanmese treat Kachin (us) as more bigger issue than Kalar. In fact, we are more distance than Kalar to Myanmese in term of races. Myanmaese comes from Kalar so Rohingya is not that big problem for Myanmese. But We Kachin are totally different from them and our land is so damn good for God have blessed us. We need to kick out Myanmese arm forces from Kachin land. They treat us first like enemy so why wouldn’t we should treat them as well. Come on Myanmese, use your tanks and airforce if you think that can crush our strong determination. Let’s see who will become the world’s most pathetic race.
We are witnessing the very dynamic relationship between China and Myanmar. They jointly use more hardline tactics against the Kachins to accomplish the dual pipelines which will bring billions of dollars in new investment and revenue to the Yunnan province, not to mention lifting it up to the level of “landbridge” India ocean.
UN and all humanitarian agencies should comply with their humanitarian mandates and should use all power to reachout to the Kachin refugees and internally displaced isolated and neglected by all.
If the Tatmadawgyi removed itself from Kachin State, the fighting would stop. Don’t hold your breath though; it’s there to wipe out the KIA and the Kachin people.