by: Zoya Phan
Media Release From Karen Community Association UK
For Immediate Release 1 November 2013
Karen
Community Association UK welcomes the Karen National Union (KNU)
delegation visiting the UK from 28 October- 1 November 2013. The
delegation consists of 7 members including 3 women. The delegation is in
the UK to study the peace process in Northern Ireland. During their
visit to UK, the delegation met with senior leaders and negotiators from
Northern Ireland and the British Government who have been involved in
reconciliation work in Northern Ireland. The delegation also visited
main conflict effected areas in Belfast to see how communities on each
side lived and experienced the conflict.
The
delegation also met with Karen community in the UK and discussed the
current situation of the Karen people, including progress on ceasefire
negotiations with the Burmese government, coordination with ethnic
alliances, the human rights situation in Karen areas, refugee concerns,
and the political goal of the KNU to establish a federal Burma.
Despite
a ceasefire agreement reached between the Karen National Union and
Burmese Government almost two years ago, there is no sign of genuine
political dialogue, which will provide sustainable development and
long-lasting peace for Karen people. The KNU is still a banned
organisation, and cannot operate legally to reach out to different Karen
communities in Burma. Many Karen continue to face human rights
violations including forced labour, arbitrary arrest, arbitrary
detention, and land confiscation. Since the peace process began, land
that Karen people have been on for generations is being seized by the
Burmese authorities on a much bigger scale with little or no
compensation. This brought destruction to local people.
Ten
of thousands of refugees along the border of Thailand still cannot
return back to their villages as Burmese Army is increasing troops
numbers in the areas they fled from. There are also no significant
landmines removal programmes. Refugees continue to require aid from
international community and ration cuts risk forcing them back to unsafe
areas.
Nationwide
ceasefire is needed as a basic step towards genuine peace. However,
nationwide ceasefire should not be just an opportunity for the Burmese
government to increase military control as well as economic control over
ethnic areas. It should lead to a meaningful political dialogue.
The
Karen Community Association UK urges Prime Minister David Cameron to
review policy on Burma and put political pressure on the Burmese
Government to enter into a genuine political dialogue with KNU and other
genuine ethnic representatives. It’s time British government pay proper
attention to what’s going on in Karen and other ethnic areas, rather
than a policy almost solely based on Thein Sein and Daw Aung San Suu
Kyi.
Military engagement without tackling the problems of impunity will not be beneficial for the people of Burma.
….End…
