Aid workers describe military attacks in northern Myanmar

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Despite a nationwide preliminary ceasefire agreement in Myanmar, fighting has again intensified in the north.

In the latest atrocities by the "Tatmadaw" Burmese military forces, Kachin and Shan villagers and internally displaced persons (IDPs) along Myanmar's northern border - an area rich in resources as well as lucrative trade routes to China - again have to flee conflict, some for the third time.

In late 2012, the Burmese military assaulted the predominantly Christian Kachin groups on Christmas day. This year, the latest attacks were during "Thingyan" - the Burmese Buddhist new year in mid-April, when almost the entire country was on holiday and Christians were preparing for Easter.

On the one hand, President Thein Sein on April 13 urged citizens to enjoy the Thingyan water festival peacefully. "I hereby seriously request that all the dutiful and dignified citizens are to prevent and wipe out all the incitements rooted from racial and religious bias."

Yet meanwhile in the far north near the Chinese border, fighting was displacing thousands - including at least 1,000 children, according to Unicef, which noted that Kachin and Shan states are among the most heavily mined areas in Myanmar.

"It is an unfortunate fact that the heightened risk that children face does not disappear even after the fighting stops, because they face a significantly increased risk of falling victim to commonly used landmines and even to possible recruitment into the combatant's armed forces," Bertrand Bainvel, Unicef representative in Myanmar, said in a statement.

As the country splashed in the new year, aid workers sent me these personal accounts of the violence:

• April 10: "Around 300 IDPs from Gawk U Yang and Nam Hka are now arriving to Man Wing Gyi because of the whole day fighting at Nam Hka Bum. And the road… is closed from this afternoon. Now local leaders are arranging temporary place for them with. The fighting seems to be spread widely around Man Wing Gyi."


• April 11: "Civilian name Brang Mao, 25 yrs old, marriage from Maw Swi Ag Lawt Yang was seriously injured by Burmese Military Mortar Shells… He is injured on his neck and his right hand broke and hurt on his abdomen seriously. He just arrived in [hospital] and need to do big major operation right now."


• April 11: "We met two Shan youths who are the villagers telling us that the Burmese soldiers initially came for census… just after finished giving the census data of the villages, the attack started."


• April 11: "I was with the villagers in Naung Tau (the Chinese side) when the shellings happening. Most of the villagers are Shan ethnic people (women and children). It was tragic moments for me when I hear and see old ladies are crying and running. Many of them do not know where to run as the Chinese are stopping them [at the border] and the gun fires are not stopping. In the evening, I met a man who was shot in his back. I also met three other KIA [Kachin Independence Army] soldiers who are seriously injured."


• April 12: "I learned that there are many other civilians in Muse and Nam Kham hospitals. It seems there will be more injured persons and emergency needs."


• April 15: "Just now around 6:00am of this morning Burmese military offensive starting fighting in Dagaw, near Moemauk township." 

Some in the international community want to believe that their sanctions in the past succeeded in bringing about reforms in Myanmar. Companies and neighbours, meanwhile, want access to Myanmar's resources, massively underdeveloped markets and geopolitical trade routes.

However, amid business deals and talk of change, there seems to be little evidence of any reform in the country's north where resources and key trade routes are at stake.

About 100,000 people have been displaced by sporadic clashes since June 2011, shortly after Myanmar's reformist government took power.

http://www.information.myanmaronlinecentre.com/aid-workers-describe-military-attacks-in-northern-myanmar/