Three ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) and the National Unity Government (NUG) have called on the international community to offer cross-border humanitarian assistance to reach those truly in need in Myanmar.
The Chin National Front (CNF), Karen National Union (KNU), Karenni National Progress Party (KNPP), and the NUG’s Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management released a joint statement on 10 May.
“Under the current circumstances, the international community wants to provide humanitarian assistance and not go through the military regime, cross-border assistance is the best way. EROs and civil society organizations are ready to provide cross-border assistance both in inner country and border areas. We already have experience distributing humanitarian aid. Right now, only a limited amount of informal aid is coming across the border,” a source responsible for the statement told the Kantarrawaddy Times.
Studies on humanitarian aid to Myanmar conducted over the past 12 months have shown that aid can only be distributed along Myanmar’s eastern and western borders, the statement said.
Therefore, the NUG and three EAOs called in the statement for relevant countries that can provide assistance to come together and form a humanitarian assistance forum.
Currently, the military council has blocked the distribution of humanitarian aid in Myanmar.
CSOs say the regime has been treating people in conflict areas as enemies and targeting them, while trying to prevent humanitarian workers from reaching those in need by imposing strict controls on them at military checkpoints.
In addition, a humanitarian convoy with ASEAN diplomats on board was fired upon on 7 May. The Pa-O National Federal Council -PNFC- accused the Pa-O National Organization (PNO), a militia under the military council, of being responsible for firing on the convoy.
The United States, Singapore, and Indonesia condemned the attack and called on the military regime to cease violence and allow unimpeded humanitarian access.
“As far as we know, the relief supplies that the convoy was carrying at the time were small. The aid was intended for only about 50 people. It is possible that ASEAN wanted to test the distribution of aid to displaced people in conflict-affected areas. Perhaps the military council intentionally intimidated people, whether they were from ASEAN or from other countries, to not come and distribute in this way. In fact, ASEAN had obtained permission from the relevant departments of the military council before they started the trip. Nevertheless, they were attacked. This incident shows us that the military council has warned that such things will happen if humanitarian aid does not go through the regime’s procedure. That is why we call for cross-border humanitarian assistance,” the official said.
The 10 May joint statement by the EROs and the NUG’s Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management said they hope to create an all-inclusive humanitarian forum for all people in Myanmar and to support humanitarian assistance programs.
Sent by Kantarawaddy Times.