SPEAKING
FREELY Myanmar reconciliation a distant
dream By Nhkum Gam
Speaking Freely is an Asia Times
Online feature that allows guest writers to have
their say. Please
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MYITKYINA, Kachin
State - It has been a year since fighting between
the Myanmar army under the government led by
President Thein Sein and the rebel Kachin
Independent Organization (KIO) restarted in Kachin
State in the north of the country.
The
fighting, which ended a 17-year ceasefire, has
created thousands of refugees and internally
displaced persons, and
made Kachin State into
one of the most dangerous places for civilians in
the country.
I am from Kachin State and am
currently living among the refugees serving as a
volunteer. There is little hope for the future
among these people, little hope that they will be
able any time soon to return to their homes. In
this dire and insecure situation, many children
are unable to attend school.
From this
battle-hit area of Myanmar, local people have no
expectations arising from US President Barack
Obama’s recent historic visit to the country.
While many Kachin people were happy that Obama
mentioned the Kachin conflict during his speech
this month at the University of Yangon, others
felt the reference would prod the government to
send more troops to the area.
Recently the
fighting has intensified in many places in Kachin
State, as well as in the contiguous northern Shan
State, after the government sent thousands of
additional troops to the areas. The situation on
the ground has become worse, with combat between
government troops and KIO rebels erupting on a
near daily basis and civilians getting caught in
the middle.
Thousands of villagers have
had to flee their homes and farms, many of which
have been destroyed or pilfered by government
troops. Many of the villagers, including women and
children, are now stuck in Kachin State’s
inhospitable jungles, where they are vulnerable to
the coming cold season without shelter, relying on
scarce food supplies, and facing abuse and
violence from state soldiers.
Local people
have told this writer that they have been forced
to carry ammunition and guns and to act as mine
shields for government troops. There have also
been reports of rape and torture. On the other
side, KIO commanders continue to recruit young
people from villages to serve as foot soldiers.
In the village of Ka-mai, along the Ledo
road made famous during World War II, government
troops recently beat farmers using bamboo sticks
while others were tortured and interrogated,
according to people familiar with the incident.
Despite these widespread rights
violations, Thein Sein's government claims it is
aiming to resolve the conflict through political
means, including through recent talks via
negotiators with the KIO leadership. However,
thousands of additional troops were sent to the
area during and after the talks.
Many
Kachin people feel that, despite the multiple
rounds of talks, the government ultimately aims
for a military solution to the conflict. Ramped up
fighting has made the situation in Kachin State
dangerous and difficult, not only for
transportation and communications in affected
villages, but also for basic civil liberties such
as freedom of movement due to government-imposed
curfews.
Although the government has
deployed tens of thousands of troops to the
frontlines of territory controlled mainly by the
KIO, they have failed to stabilize and secure the
restive regions. Instead, rights abuses have
alienated many local villagers, forcing a growing
number into makeshift refugee camps established
and maintained by local non-governmental
organizations and churches.
Of course,
many people in Kachin do not want this fight.
If the government was sincere about
restoring peace and order to Kachin State, it
would make efforts to win the hearts and minds of
the local people. Instead, many villagers feel
that soldiers have been deployed to loot and
undermine their livelihoods. Many say they don't
even dare to make eye contact with troops for fear
of reprisals.
Many Kachins feel that they
have been discriminated against for decades due to
their religion and ethnicity. Few trust the
government's motivations for initiating peace
talks, with many noting that the KIO had already
signed a ceasefire with the government in 1994.
To be sure, people in Kachin State are
tired of fighting and want peace. But for national
reconciliation to be achieved, not just in Kachin
State but across Myanmar, the government must
establish a framework that aims for political
solutions to the country's many unresolved ethnic
conflicts.
All of Myanmar's estimated 135
ethnic groups want to enjoy justice, equality and
freedom in a new, modern and peaceful Myanmar. But
the government's use of excessive force and
continued rights abuses in Kachin State mean true
national reconciliation will remain a distant
prospect.
Nhkum Gam, a
pseudonym, is a volunteer teacher based in
Myitkyina, Myanmar.
Speaking Freely
is an Asia Times Online feature that allows guest
writers to have their say.Please
click hereif you are interested in
contributing.
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