Bishop of Myitkyina calls for peace "broker" between the Burmese army and Kachin
Myitkyina (AsiaNews) - The Burmese Church seeks to be a
"mediator" in a position to achieve a "lasting peace
agreement" between the Burmese army and rebel militias in northern Kachin
State, on the border with China, the theater of a civil war raging for months between two fronts. The
Nobel Peace Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi or prominent personalities of the
international community would be "the ideal figures," according to Mgr.
Francis, bishop of
Myitkyina. The
prelate confirms the escalation of tension and does not exclude the hypothesis
of a "major offensive" of the military, which would end up targeting more
civilians, already battered by months of violence. Meanwhile,
priests, nuns and Catholic volunteers are working to bring relief to refugees -
the UN estimates more than 60 thousand, while thousands have crossed the border
towards China
- providing them with shelter, food and basic provisions.
Yesterday
a senior officer of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) sounded the alarm: the
Burmese army is preparing a "massive offensive" against a rebel
stronghold of ethnic militias. The
objective of the military is town of Laiza in
northern Burma,
where around 2 thousand troops and heavy weapons are concentrated awaiting the
order to attack. The
rebel forces count about 3 thousand, but their strength is lower than the
firepower available to the Tatmadaw (the Burmese army, ed.)
Recently
the central government reached peace agreements with several ethnic groups, as
part of a process of democratization which should affect the various components
that form the Union of Myanmar. However,
last June the renewed fighting swept away a fragile ceasefire that had lasted
17 years, and so far, the orders of President Thein Sein to stop the army offensive
and six rounds of talks between Government
leaders and Kachin have proved fruitless.
Speaking to AsiaNews, Mgr. Francis,
bishop of Myitkyina, says he hopes in the international community to "face
the two parties and mediate a solution." The
situation is likely to deteriorate because "the army is sending more troops,"
while ethnic militias "are trying to respond" with the means
available to them. "This
latest violence - said the prelate- leads to further suffering
population." In
this regard, he proposes new dialogue in which "people are able to talk"
with a prominent personality to promote peace: "We hope Aung San Suu Kyi
and others, including at the international level - he adds - will take on this
task. The outside world must see the suffering of the people with its own eyes.
"
Meanwhile,
the Catholic Church in Burma
has launched a series of initiatives to address the problems of displaced
persons. In
Myitkyina there are only three centers, which "provide shelter, food,
basic necessities", Msgr. Francis
told AsiaNews, "even
kindergartens and elementary schools, so that children can continue the
educational process. We do what we can to meet the needs." The
bishop does not exclude the hypothesis of a heavy army offensive, but prays for
peace and dialogue to prevail. He
also denounces the use of heavy weapons, grenades and chemical weapons, that cause
"bleeding or vomiting" in civilian victims. Instead
of ensuring safety, especially in remote villages, the soldiers commit crimes
and violence. "Enough
violence! - concludes Msgr. Francis - because the civilian population is the
real victim of this situation of tension between the parties." (DS)
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