30 April 2018
From April 11 to 28, 2018, due to fierce offensives by the Myanmar Tatmadaw, people from Tanai township, Awng Lawt village, Kamaing township, Man Wai/Loi Nawng Khu village, Namti township, Kasung village, Inn Jang Yang township, Chipwi township and Zan Naung Yang villages have fled for their lives to the jungle and remain trapped amid the fighting until today.
The people who are trapped include pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, sick people, old people, children under five, newborn babies, paralyzed and disabled people, mothers who have just given birth, and injured people. They are suffering from shortages of food and water, and, unable to access safe refuge, with ongoing heavy fighting, their numbers are increasing day by day. We are therefore gravely concerned for their safety and welfare.
By remaining silent about the suffering inflicted on these innocent villagers by the Tatmadaw’s offensives, the government is promoting Burmese Buddhist chauvinism, which does not respect or recognize other ethnic groups or religions.
The Tatmadaw’s fierce offensives are aimed at seizing by military force the lands and natural resources of the indigenous ethnic peoples and carrying out ethnic cleansing.
In order to solve these urgent problems, the People’s Action Committee for Humanitarian Aid makes the following demands:
- The villagers trapped amid the conflict must be allowed safe passage to places of refuge and must be provided with timely humanitarian aid as soon as possible.
- The Myanmar Tatmadaw must immediately end its offensives in Kachin areas.
- The government must effectively take responsibility for protecting the security of the people.
- In order to achieve peace, the current conflict must not be solved by military force. The political problems must be solved by political means.
Contacts person:
- Nang Pu – +95 253 108 147
- Zaw Jat – +95 944 000 6442
- Tsa Ji – +95 940 153 8249
