Wednesday, September 26, 2012
မြန်မာ့ငြိမ်းချမ်းရေးလေ့လာစောင့်ကြည့်မှု
OPEN LETTER TO DAW AUNG SAN SUU KYI
26th September 2012
In
response to your recent public comments in the United States regarding the
conflict and human rights violations in Kachin State, Kachin communities
world-wide would like to take this opportunity to invite you to visit
internally displaced people (IDP) forced to live in makeshift camps in Mai Ja
Yang, Kachin State.
The
government of Burma, which you are now an elected member of, broke the 17
year-long ceasefire in June 2011 to annex Kachin Independence Organization
(KIO) controlled areas. From this time, the Burmese army has not only launched
full-scale war against the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) but also committed
genocide and other heinous human rights violations deliberately attacking
innocent civilians. The direct military actions by the Burmese army in a clear
violation of Geneva Conventions have resulted in the forced displacement of
100,000 Kachin civilians to date.
Human
rights abuses committed by the Burmese army against our people include rape and
gang-rape against women and even children, the elderly and disabled; killing
many victims of sexual violence; arbitrary executions; torture; mutilations;
beatings; forced labour; mortar bombing and burning of villages; looting of
villages and other thefts; and use of child soldiers many of which constitute
war crimes and crimes against humanity. Given the climate of violence, fear and
suffering our people are enduring everyday, it is disheartening not to hear you
speaking out against injustice for those who have been forcibly silent, instead
you declared you have a soft spot for Tatmadaw that your father founded, the
very institution that is responsible for such miseries.
As
you and your fellow parliamentary members are well aware, the government of
Burma is not providing emergency relief and is refusing to allow the free
delivery of humanitarian aid to tens of thousands of internally displaced
people in direct and open violation of international law. In your position as
Chair of the Lower House of Parliament’s Rule of Law Committee you have the
power to initiate and the responsibility to minimize the immense suffering of
Kachin IDPs that includes women and young children who are suffering from
malnutrition and other illnesses without sufficient medical or education
facilities.
We
Kachin had looked to you to speak out about the abuses being committed against
our people at least based on humanitarian grounds as you were once silenced by
the same regime and were eventually triumphant by unwavering voices of freedom.
If you were to speak out, the international community would listen, all the
people of Burma regardless of ethnicity or religion will stand up for the
wholesale principles of democracy and human rights. As a renowned champion for
human rights, by not condemning the abuses in Kachin State you are not only
condoning the state-sanctioned violence, but you exemplified to the masses in
the country that the notion of conditional human rights is tolerated.
We
are concerned by your comments at the London School of Economics in the United
Kingdom, June 2012, when you stated that there was a need to establish the
facts of the root cause of the Kachin conflict. Further, in your meeting with
the Burmese Community in the USA on 22nd September, you stated: “Basically,
what is it that I have to strongly condemn? If it is a human rights violation
as well as any acts of breaching the rule of law then I will strongly condemn.”
You are yet to take a stance on the human rights abuses taking place in Kachin
State, your statement, combined with the comments you made at the LSE gives the
impression to the people of Burma and international community that you do not
believe human rights abuses are taking place.
Many
international human rights organisations including Human Rights Watch, and
international media including the BBC have reported and verified that heinous
abuses are committed against the Kachin population by the Burmese army. In
March 2012 the United Nations Special Rapporteur stated he had reports of:
“…attacks
against civilian populations, extrajudicial killings, internal displacement,
the use of human shields and forced labour, and the confiscation and
destruction of property. He has also received reports of gang rapes by army
soldiers, although the numbers provided by different sources vary. In the
report of the Secretary-General on conflict-related sexual violence, it was
noted that as many as 32 women and girls throughout Kachin State were allegedly
raped by the military between June and August 2011.”
Given
the seriousness of the situation outlined above we invite you to visit Mai Ja
Yang, where the majority of the IDPs are taking refuge and protection by the
KIO. You will be able to hear directly from the victims about the human rights
abuses that have been committed against them. You will see for yourself the
suffering caused by the Burmese government’s refusal to allow humanitarian aid
into these areas. As you often refer to your father General Aung San in your
political speeches, we do hope that you uphold his promise for the Union of
Burma where all ethnic people including Burman will be equal. As an elected MP
and daughter of General Aung San, talk of “unity” while staying silent on the
suffering of the ethnic masses will only polarize the country further.
All
of those who believe in the cause of human rights and democracy in our country
must work together. We must all make efforts to restore trust, and therefore in
the spirit of Panglong we extend this invitation to you. You are now able to
travel all over the world and speak openly to large audiences. We request that
you also travel to Mai Ja Yang in Kachin State, and witness first-hand what is
taking place in Kachin State to advocate for the ordinary citizens who are
suffering at the hands of their own government. We have trust in you that you
will recognize the urgency and importance of this request and not refuse the
invitation.
The undersigned Kachin organizations
1. All Kachin Students and Youth Union
(AKSYU)
2. Kachin Canadian Association
3. Kachin Women's Association Thailand
(KWAT)
4. Kachin National Organization (KNO)
5. Kachin Association of Australia (KAA)
6. Kachin Centre-Thailand
7. Kachin Refugee Committee- Malaysia (KRC)
8. Kachin National Organization (KNO-Japan)
9. Kachin National Organization
(KNO-Denmark)
10. Kachin
Christian Fellowship (KCF-Denmark)
11. Kachin
National Organization (KNO-USA)
12. Kachin
National Organization (KNO-United Kingdom)
13. Kachin
National Organization (KNO-India)
14. Kachin
National Organization (KNO-Malaysia)
15. Kachin
National Organization (KNO-Australia)
16. Kachin
Community in United Kingdom
17. Kachin
Community in Sweden (KCS)
18. Kachin
Community in Netherlands (KCNL)
19. Kachin
Association Norway
20. Kachin
Alliance (USA)
21. Pan
Kachin Development Society (PKDS)
22. Queensland
Kachin Community
23. Singapore
Kachin Community
For more information, please contact:
·
Gumsan (USA), 001
( )443 415 8683
·
Dr. Nawmai Maran
(USA), 001 ( ) 402 990 2553
·
Naw San (Thailand), +66
(0) 848119594
·
Moon Nay Li
(Thailand), +66 (0) 856251912
·
Hkahpa Tu Sadan (UK),
Mobile: +44 (0) 7538 258961
Posted in: ကချင်,အင်္ဂလိပ်စာမျက်နှာ
