Burma Army Displaces more than 1,200 in Attacks

Crosswalk ^ | January 9, 2006 | Crosswalk Editorial Staff

[LwinAungSoe]

The Burma Army has displaced more than 1,200 people in attacks against villages and hiding places of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Southern Karenni State.

 

Troops from Burma carried out their attacks against villagers on December 23. Soldiers burned down 26 houses in Gee Gaw Ber village, forcing all 610 residents of the village into hiding.

 

A further 341 people from the nearby village of Toe Ka Htoo fled in fear, while 255 people from Pah Poe are also in hiding. Those newly displaced are now in hiding without shelter and the temperatures in the area are very low.

 

Those who have fled are hiding at heights between 3,500-6,500 feet and the freezing level is between 4,000-5,000 feet.

 

The people of this area of Southern Karenni State have been under constant attack since December 2002 when over 2,000 Karenni and 3,000 Karen were attacked by ten battalions of the Burma Army.

 

Alexa Papadouris, CSW's Advocacy Director, said: "The ongoing attacks against villagers and IDPs in Karenni state highlight the urgent necessity of UN Security Council intervention.

 

While the world stands by, thousands of people every year are losing their lives in Burma."

Please click the photos for more photos and links.

 

[Maigret]

The Karen People have been under attack by these brutal people for a lot longer than since 2002.

If anyone is interested in helping them, Christian Freedom International http://www.christianfreedom.org/ is a good route to use, you can sponsor individual children or help send medical and other aid to entire villages for very minimal contributions.

[ko_kyi]

Such an abomination.

This is almost on the scale of Darfur and no one notices.

[ko_kyi]

Also, please check out

http://www.freeburmarangers.org

[ko_kyi]

By the way - Freepers should understand that conventional NGOs like the Red Cross or various UN organizations are powerless to help these people because they operate on invitation of the host government. Burma does not want to acknowledge these people because they would have to own up that their genocidal campaign is by government order.

These aid groups are considered the enemey by the Burmese army and they risk imprisonment, torture, and death to help these refugees.

[oyez]

Where is the outcry? Where is the UN condemnation. Where is Jimmy Carter?

[Maigret]

Absolutely! The free Burma Rangers have been an important source of help for these people for a lot of years, thanks for mentioning them as well.

And if anyone would like to see that Hollywood can get something right now and then, buy or rent the film, Beyond Rangoon. It is based on a true story and at the end of the film as the heroine reaches a group of Burmese who rescue her and others fleeing the military, you'll see a Karen village.

[mallardx]

"Alexa Papadouris, CSW's Advocacy Director, said: "The ongoing attacks against villagers and IDPs in Karenni state highlight the urgent necessity of UN Security Council intervention. "

Here's a better idea, if you want something done: tell them these acts highlight the urgent need for U.S. intervention. These poor people are subject to decimation if they are waiting for the U.N. The U.N. is a corrupt group of benefit mongerers.