Ethnic Network says Suu Kyi needs to do more to stop the fighting

The Ethnic Human Rights Network issued a public statement calling on Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and her political party, the National Liberation Party, to take a stand against the abuses being committed in Kachin State by the Burma military.

The Ethnic Human Rights Network statement said the fighting in Kachin State had resulted in “human rights violations such as rape, killing and murdering in Kachin state as well as northern Shan state.”

Mr Yaw Na, a spokesperson for the Ethnic Human Rights Network spoke to Karen News.

“We are calling for the fighting in Kachin State to stop. It’s been more than 18 months and as many as 100,000 people are homeless.”

In recent weeks a number of international humanitarian groups have documented repeated bomb attacks by the Burma military’s jet fighters and helicopters on Kachin Independent Army positions.

The Ethnic Human Rights Network statement said this has placed civilians and refugees in danger.

“Many people are fleeing into refugee camps that are based under the fighter jet path of the government and many children are living under the threat of chemical weapons.”

Mr Yaw Na told Karen News that Suu Kyi should use her position to get the government to stop its military attacks.

“We are disappointed that we have heard nothing from Suu Kyi or the NLD on the Kachin situation. There’s plenty of talk about development, but nothing on this conflict.”

The Ethnic Human Rights Network statement urged Suu Kyi and ethnic member of parliament to use their political positions to persuade the government to stop bombing the Kachin.

“Daw Aung San Su Kyi, together with other ethnic parties inside the country to pay attention to the current condition in Kachin state, and to push the government to solve the problem, rather than just move forward on other political developments. All CBO NGOs and international NGOs should campaign to stop human rights violations in Burma. If all parties respect genuine democracy they must emphasize the current condition in Kachin state and northern Shan state as a countrywide problem. Then there will be movement to genuine democracy.”