An interview with an official about the challenges faced by the Karen Emergency Rescue Committee, which is providing aid in areas not yet fully liberated from junta control
The number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) has been gradually increasing in Karen National Union (KNU) Brigade 3 territory in Nyaunglebin District, Bago Region, due to the intensifying battles following the military coup. There is still a great need for help today.
To address this situation, the Karen Emergency Rescue Committee was formed by township to carry out food distribution and relief operations for the displaced civilian population. This committee collects data and helps displaced people down to the ground level.
Karen Information Center (KIC) conducted this interview with an official from the Karen Emergency Rescue Committee (Mone Township) to find out how the committee provides relief in areas not yet fully liberated from junta control, what civil society organizations the committee works with, and what challenges it faces, as a KNU-recognized committee.
Q: First, please tell us about the Karen Emergency Rescue Committee.
A: The emergency rescue committee is set up in all three townships of Nyaunglebin District. The committee was formed at both township and village levels. We work with relief teams in the villages and report what’s happening on the ground. It’s a civil society group recognized by the KNU.
After the coup, when local people were rebuilding the civilian administration system, they called meetings in villages to elect village heads of their choice. The KNU then recognized these elected leaders. In the same way, for the committee formation, the KNU didn’t appoint or organize it, but rather recognized the representatives elected by the villagers by consensus.
Q: Please tell us how the committee was formed.
A: It was formed after the 2021 coup. At first, during the ceasefire period, it was a social organization to facilitate communication between the public and the two sides by monitoring troop movements on the Kyaukkyi-Mu Thae road.
Today, it’s more than just a social organization. It’s now an officially recognized emergency relief organization at the township level, that collects data on IDPs affected by the ongoing conflicts. Depending on people’s living conditions, we also work with relief teams for both health and livelihood support.
Q: In Nyaunglebin District, there are still areas controlled by the junta. How does the committee support the people in these areas? How do you work with them?
A: In Mone Township, for example, these are the villages near Phyu and up to the west bank of the Sittaung River. The military often shells villages on the west bank of the Sittaung River. In terms of distributing relief supplies, we can’t go directly to areas that are under constant artillery fire. Instead, we call their family members to safer places to help them. Now the Karen Women’s Organization (KWO) has also come to donate.
Other civil society organizations are also coming to help. This involves township officials collecting people’s information in a safe place and then distributing it to village heads and family members. These groups come in an organized way to donate. Through the district, they officially inform the relevant administrative officials of the township area and ask for help. We provide aid based on the data we collect.
Q: Apart from food and medical supplies, what other challenges do you face in providing aid?
A: Helping the displaced people isn’t easy. At the moment, many are sick and unwell. So in addition to food, medicines and medical care are also needed. In addition, many people aren’t included in the lists of people in need. These are people who haven’t yet received help due to information delays.
Information delays occur because in some villages the members of the local emergency rescue committee are can’t stay in the village due to the situation and have to hide elsewhere. This leads to delays in updating information to the relevant authorities. During the recent flooding, there was an incident where the military didn’t allow some groups from Taungoo to enter Mone Township to provide assistance.
Q: How is the aid provided within the township? Are there any restrictions imposed by the KNU on humanitarian aid groups? Please let us know.
A: There is people to people assistance and there is our KNU-recognized emergency relief committee as well as other CSOs. We’re all working together to provide support. When they provide assistance, they have to systematically go through the right channels from central to district to township level.
This is just like our original social group that provided humanitarian aid. Domestically, we can coordinate directly with our social affairs coordinator to provide aid. International aid goes through the levels from the central to districts to townships, coordinating with groups working on the ground. Although we call it humanitarian aid, people on the other side are being shot at by the military and have to flee as IDPs.
The KNU doesn’t ban or restrict any groups. But the groups coming to help must be organizations that are accepted by the ethnic armed groups. Otherwise, there is a concern that they will cause harm on the one hand, but want to help the IDPs on the other, but collect their data and exploit them politically in front of the international community. Township officials carefully check which groups are allowed to enter.
Sent by KIC.
