May 31th, 2022
The National Unity Government (NUG) and three Ethnic Resistance Organizations (EROs) issued a joint statement dated May 30th, objecting to the decisions made by the UNOCHA and the Asean on the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Myanmar through the military council.
U Ko Ko Hlaing, the Military Council’s Minister for International Cooperation was allowed to attend the Consultative Meeting on ASEAN Humanitarian Assistance to Myanmar in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on May 5th and 6th.
With the approval from the Myanmar Task Force, the Asean AHA Centre decided to facilitate requests for access through this delivery arrangement.
Padoh Saw Taw Nee, Spokesperson of the joint statement told the KIC: “Humanitarian assistance will not reach the people in need. Decision to deliver humanitarian aid would amount to encouraging the military council’s violence acts against the innocent civilians. As the military council has known the weak points of the Asean and the UN, the military council will fight against us using humanitarian assistance as weapons by taking advantage of the weak points. Local and foreign organizations need to thoroughly review it as we don’t accept it.”
“In addition, humanitarian assistance will not reach those in need if they make one-sided decisions without the inclusion of those involved in the current conflict. Those in need will get aid only when the delivery of aid is made through the CSOs providing humanitarian aid,” he added.
The coverage areas for the Asean aid include Karenni (Kayah), Karen State, Magway Region, Sagang Region and Bago Region. The Asean has finalized the designs for the preliminary need assessment without coordination with the NUG and the Ethnic Resistance Organizations (EROs). In coming June, the survey and analysis processes will kick off, the statement says.
Although they called on the Asean to review and redraft approaches, analysis and aid programs in which all stakeholders are not included, the Asean did not respond to it. So, the joint statement objected to the Asean’s continued plan.
Although the Karen National Union (KNU) has no plan to coordinate with the military council in terms of politics, it has a policy to coordinate the delivery of emergency humanitarian aid to those in need. In delivering aid, both sides must stop fighting, Padoh Saw Taw Nee added.
They are deeply disappointed as most of the international community fail to respond to their demands. They welcome the aid programs for those who are really in need. But they objected to the current programs which will help the military council’s violence, the statement says.
The statement also described the points which should be done for the delivery of balanced humanitarian aid.
Likewise, the NUG issued a statement on May 7th, saying it is deeply disappointed and concerned about the outcome of the Consultative Meeting on ASEAN Humanitarian Assistance to Myanmar. The NUG and other crucial stakeholders of Myanmar such as the Ethnic Resistance Organizations (EROs) and local humanitarian organizations have been deliberately excluded from the consultative meeting. The outcome of the meeting has put the Myanmar Task Force at the center of ASEAN Humanitarian Assistance Delivery Framework.
Likewise, local and foreign human rights organizations, the CSOs and the Special Advisory Council for Myanmar (SAC-M) issued statements, rejecting the Asean’s decision after the meeting.
Sent by the KIC.