Date: 9 June 2021
Ten years ago today, the Burma Army violated a bilateral ceasefire agreement with the Kachin
Independence Army (KIA) by attacking KIA positions along the Taping River east of Bhamo,
Kachin State. The attack displaced thousands of innocent civilians and deepened distrust. Over the
last decade, a civil war has prevented Kachin people from feeling safe and secure in their
homeland. With over 100,000 people displaced and humanitarian aid blocked, innocent civilians
continue to suffer the most. On this solemn acknowledgement of the anniversary, the World
Kachin Congress strongly condemns the ongoing assaults by the Burma Army and calls for urgent
international action.
The February 1 coup has only made things worse. Mass atrocities are taking place in both rural
areas and now on the streets in urban centers like Yangon and Mandalay. The Burma Army has
maintained that they intend to rule with ‘disciplined democracy.’ But with over 800 civilians
killed, and thousands unlawfully detained, it’s clear that they are not sincere in returning the
country back to democracy. Civilians in Kachin State are among millions living in fear in Burma
today. The junta security forces continue to deploy troops to destroy property, confiscate
possessions and arrest rights defenders. The regime has never been sincere in their roadmaps for
peace. Their recent actions are clear evidence of this.
It is not enough to just condemn the atrocities taking place inside Burma. The international
community must do more to stand up to the illegitimate junta by taking concrete steps towards
putting an end to decades of entrenched impunity. We call on world leaders, United Nations
representatives, and ASEAN delegates to do the following:
- To categorically reject the so-called State Administrative Council and recognize the
National Unity Government of Myanmar as the body representing democratically elected
members from the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (CRPH). - To adopt the resolution drafted by the UN General Assembly which calls for a global arms
embargo. - To enact targeted sanctions to limit the financial powers of the junta.
- To work with leaders of ethnic armed organizations who have helped provide shelter to
fleeing activists and trained civilians to defend themselves when their lives are threatened
by the junta. - To ensure that Min Aung Hlaing and the Burma Army are held to account for their crimes
through a United Nations Security Council referral of the situation in Burma to the
International Criminal Court.
International dialogue and engagement in Burma must be with representatives truly committed to
peace in our country. Any interaction with the junta only seeks to create more divisions. We need
unity and a collective response to end the junta’s agenda of death and destruction.
Media Contact:
Mr. Nsang Gum San (USA) Ph: +1 443 415 8683
Mrs. Moon Nay Li (Thailand) Ph: +66 85 523 3791
Mrs. Marip Seng Bu (Japan) Ph: +81 904 076 6579
Mr. Brang Nu Maran (Norway) Ph: +47 91528755
please download full version of PDF in [English] [Burmese] [Chinese]
