Karen Communities Worldwide Call for Action to Stop Attacks on Civilians

Statement from Karen Communities Worldwide

For Immediate Release March 9th 2010

Karen Communities Worldwide Call for Action to Stop Attacks on Civilians

Karen communities in 10 countries are joining forces for a global day of action on Tuesday 9th March, calling on the international community to take action to stop new attacks by the Burmese Army against Karen civilians. Since mid January more than 2,000 civilians have been forced to flee new attacks.

• Villagers have been shot on sight
• A school has been mortar bombed
• One villager has been beheaded
• More than 80 homes have been destroyed
• Schools and health clinics have been burned down
• Food stocks being stolen and destroyed
• The regime is stopping aid reaching people who are hiding in the jungle

Karen communities call for immediate practical action to stop the attacks.

• The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) must demand an immediate end to the attacks, which break international law
• Governments, including the European Commission, must provide funding for cross-border aid, which is the only way to get food, medicine and shelter to those on the run from the new attacks
• The United Nations (UN) should set up a Commission of Inquiry into war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the dictatorship.

Karen people have been under attack for more than 60 years. The new wave of attacks is linked to the Burmese dictatorship’ s fake elections due later this year. The dictatorship is trying to crush all resistance forces to their rule. They are following the doctrine of the Burmese Army: ‘One Blood, One Voice, One Command’. The new constitution drafted by the dictatorship guarantees no rights or protection to ethnic nationalities. In fact, it is a death sentence to ethnic diversity in Burma. The international community must stop ignoring what is happening to ethnic peoples in Burma.

We, the Karen Communities Worldwide, desire genuine democracy, peace and national reconciliation, but not military threats and attacks by the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) army to destroy our homeland and our dreams for a peaceful federal Burma.

Karen Communities in the United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden, Germany, Canada, the United States, Australia, Japan, Malaysia and Korea are coordinating the day of action, which is supported by people from Burma and human rights groups.

Contact:

UK – Pa Saw Htee – Karen Community Association +447828168180
Australia - Saw Lwin Oo, Australia Karen Organisation +61 4123 44009
Canada – Mahn Kyaw Shwe, Karen Canadian Community +;1519-434-0139
Germany – Mahn Aung Lwin, Karen National Community Germany +491752433418
Norway – Nan Kyi Aye, Karen community in Norway +4741847953
USA – Stephen Dun, Karen American Communities Foundation +12062958553
Korea – Saw Kenneth Moe, Karen Youth Organisation +821087147019