NGO accuses Myanmar junta of destroying humanitarian aid
Bangkok, Nov 10 (EFE).- Humanitarian group Fortify Rights accused the Myanmar military junta Wednesday of detaining humanitarian workers and destroying aid destined for civilians affected by the Myanmar conflict.
In a report entitled “Access Denied,” the NGO claims that military junta forces block humanitarian aid in Kayah, Karenni state, where more than 100,000 people are displaced due to attacks by Myanmar soldiers against civilian targets.
Through more than 20 interviews, photographs and videos taken on the ground, the group documented the detention of at least 14 humanitarian workers by the army, as well as the destruction of food, medicine and supplies destined for displaced people.
According to the humanitarian organization, these actions violate international law and could also constitute war crimes.
The report includes the testimony of humanitarian workers who say the junta has created a climate of fear and a Karenni teacher, displaced with two young children, tells of the trauma the violence has caused in her young daughter.
“We collect water from the mountains, take turns and try to consume it sparingly,” the unidentified teachers said, speaking about the supply shortage.
To get around the board’s lockdown, Fortify Rights proposes that humanitarian aid be delivered directly to displaced civilians across the borders of Thailand, China, India, and Bangladesh, which would require authorization from the governments of these countries.
The United Nations added that the attacks against civilians in Karenni are similar to those carried out by Myanmar soldiers in other parts of the country such as Chin state and the Sagaing region.
In recent months, armed fighting has intensified between the Myanmar Army, which took power on Feb. 1, and the ethnic guerrillas that have taken up arms for decades and new civilian militias formed as a result of the military uprising.
The United Nations warned Tuesday of the “deterioration of the humanitarian situation” in Myanmar as a result of the fighting between the army and armed groups and estimated three million people in need of help.
At least 223,000 civilians have been displaced by the conflict since the military coup, adding to the displacement over the years of 144,000 Rohingya in Rakhine state and more than 105,000 people in Kachin and Shan states.
The military justifies the coup on alleged fraud in last year’s elections, despite being sanctioned by international observers.
The massive protests of the first months, brutally repressed by the military, have given way to an armed resistance against the military junta, accused of having killed more than 1,250 civilians.
Fortify Rights began operation in Myanmar in 2013. EFE
grc/lds
