Religious leaders, civil society and activists call for peace in Kachin State
Yangon (AsiaNews) - On this third anniversary of the resumption of war against the Kachin, an umbrella group of 55 different movements, ethnic and religious (catholics and protestants) leaders, social activists launched an appeal for peace and dialogue. They are calling on the Government of Burma and the Burmese Army to immediately cease its attacks in Kachin State, to end hostilities, establish peace and withdraw to positions held before the ceasefire was broken. Over the weekend celebrations and events marked the third year of war in the northern State of Myanmar, bordering with China. Myanmar is home to over 135 ethnic groups, and has always struggled to promote a peaceful coexistence among them. In the past the miltitary junta used an iron fist to tame the most recalcitrant, including the Kachin in the north. After 17 years of relative peace, in 2011 renewed conflict between government troops and KIA rebel militias broke out and so far has caused dozens of civilian deaths and at least 120 thousand displaced people.
The leaders of the independence movement and representatives of the central government in Naypyidaw - a semi-civil government led by President Thein Sein - have made numerous attempts to broker peace, without ever obtaining any tangible or lasting results. In the meantime civilians have suffered more than anyone: at least 200 villages have been destroyed and a humanitarian emergency has ensued with a desperate need for shelter, food and medical care.
In recent months several rounds of peace talks have been held and hopes for peace have been raised. However, even as the Government and the Burma Army have engaged in talks with the Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO) and its armed wing, the KIA (Kachin Independence Army), attacks by the Burma Army have continued and the situation remains unstable. To give peace new hopes, during the weekend in Yangon and other cities all over Burma activists and members of civil society celebrated "Call for Peace", an event to mark three years of war and those innocent victims.
The organizers appealed to the international community to provide basic "humanitarian assistance" for displaced; they also make an appeal to the Burmese government because it punishes those who, in the army, have been found guilty of rape and sexual violence as a weapon of war. According to the activists constitutional reforms are necessary to provide a "federal" government based on mutual trust and that gives real hope for peace.
Ko Ko Gyi, political activist and leader of 88 Generation Students Group, says that Burma is based on principles of "justice and independence", but "we still have war and inequality until today because those ideas are not practiced in reality. Equality is essential amongst individual and different ethnic groups." Kachin Peace Network activist May Sabai Phyu underscores the presence of "prominent civil society leaders, leaders from four man religions in Myanmar, different ethnic brothers and sisters" who joined the event. "To develop our economy we need peace, but due to land grabbing throughout Kachin state, people are facing difficulties catering to their basic needs. Stability can only be achieved through peace" Kachin Land Activist Daw Bawk Ja says.
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