Although the government signed the nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA) with some ethnic armed groups, its troops continue to launch offensives against the non-signatory armed groups. The attacks are especially prevalent in Kachin and Shan states where war is ongoing.
“Now, winter season has started and it is getting cold. The locals have to flee, hide and sleep without blankets and other necessities in the jungle during this cold winter because of the war. We should take a moment and think of how those people suffer. We come here to urge the Burmese authorities at the embassy to have sympathy and stop the war right now,” said Ko John Bo Wi, a Chin national and a leader of the protest group.
The military is currently in power in Thailand after the junta of May, 2014. In order to avoid a gathering of more than 5 people, respective Thai authorities only allowed the protesters 20 minutes outside the Burma Embassy. The protesters comprised of roughly 30 people, namely Chin, Shan, Bamar, Karen, Mon and Thai people.
“The difficulties the locals fleeing the war have to face include only eating what they have. But how can they live and sleep at night without any blankets as the snow is falling? We come here to urge the war be stopped by having sympathy,” continued Ko John Bo Wi.
The assistant director of the Thai-Myanmar Friendship Foundation and principal of the Dear Burma Academy handed the documents with their requests over to U Tun Aye, of the Burmese Embassy in Thailand.
“We come to protest at the embassy now because a free democratic election has been held and they have already announced the people’s wishes. Now, there is a way for the military to be moved back. But this is from a group of people and the former military officials. For their business and profit, they [military officials] force their soldiers to battle as they want. And, they send innocent locals to suffer as they become affected by the war,” U Myint Wai, the principal of Dear Burma Academy.
On November 26, a group of Shan civil society organizations released a statement calling for the international community to act against these crimes against humanity committed by the government military in central Shan State.
