Burma: Ethnic war or political reforms?

Burma’s Thein Sein government looks to be on the verge of a historic move as democracy icon and key opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi recently decided to take part in the country’s official political arena and President Obama declared plans to send the US Secretary of State to Burma for the first time in half a century.

In an interview with Fox News, the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said there were specific steps she expected from Burma. According to Ms. Clinton, the US desires to see more political prisoners released and to see a real political process and genuine elections. In addition, the US wants to see an end to the conflicts, particularly the terrible conflicts with ethnic minorities, the US Secretary of State said.

Since the US has clearly called for an end to the war against the ethnic people, the Thein Sein government appears to open a first phase of cessation of hostilities plan.

For instance, U Aung Min, union minister of railway transport and special representative of President Thein Sein, met delegations from Shan, Karen, Karenni, Chin and Kachin armed ethnic groups at a secret location on the Thai-Burma border on November 19, according to the Shan Herald Agency for News (S.H.A.N.).

Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS), Karen National Union (KNU) and Chin National Front (CNF) had reportedly agreed to sign ceasefire accords with respective state governments after preparatory meeting with U A ung Min.

However, at the same time, the war against the Kachin rebels has been ongoing, with heavy casualties. On November 21, 37 soldiers belonging to a Burmese Army’s company died in action in N’Tap Bum war zone in Kachin State, northern Burma. The news was confirmed by a porter who escaped. He ran away from the Burmese military column and escaped to the KIA controlled area.

According to the porter, the soldiers were killed in the combat with Kachin Independence Army (KIA) soldiers in different places in the N’Tap Bum mountain range, about 8 miles southeast of KIA headquarters Laiza, near the Sino-Burma border, Kachin News Group reported.

More than 1,000 Burmese troops have been secretly deployed in the strategic mountain range since mid-October aiming to capture Laiza, KIA officials in Laiza said. On November 17, the Kachin armed forces successfully pushed back Burmese troops deployed in the mountain range and lots of arms and ammunition were seized by Kachin soldiers, said KIA officials.

However, skirmishes continue between KIA soldiers and the remaining Burmese troops in the mountain range, said KIA officers on the frontline.

Meanwhile, a peculiar yellow rain fell in Mai Ja Yang town Kachin State on Sunday, residents said. The yellow rain fell there in three different places in the town. The dark yellow rain fell from black clouds just like rain, according to residents there. The same yellow rain also fell in Mai Ya Yang on November 21, as said by residents.

As a result, children in Mai Ja Yang and those of people in refugee camps are suffering from coughs, said a health volunteer in the town. The reason of the cough was not known so far. Almost all children suffering from coughing had oral drought and continuing cough.

Until now, the KIO authorities and residents have no idea what the yellow rain is. The rain fell like paste unlike common rain-water, said eyewitnesses. They are extremely worried, wondering whether it is acid rain or chemical rain, a resident told Kachin News Group on Monday.

Most residents believe it could be the end result of the poison gas used by Burmese Army fighting against KIO troops near Mai Ja Yang. Burmese soldiers had attacked KIO with chemical weapons earlier this month, a victim said.

This act violates the Geneva Protocol which banned use of chemical and biological weapons in both civil and foreign conflicts. President Thein Sein’s government has to take responsibility for the use of such chemical weapons.

In brief, while other ethnic groups are on the way to negotiation, the Kachin group has been under attack. The government should not differentiate KIO from other groups.

If President Thein Sein really wants democratic reform in Burma, all the wars with respective ethnic rebels including KIA must be stopped immediately.

Credit : Zin Linn