UN team visits KIO run refugee camps, as regime aid refused

UNICEP AID TRUCKS ARRIVED IN KACHIN IDPS CAMPS IN LAIZA, THE CONTROLLED TOWN OF KIO, NORTHERN BURMA.

More than 5 months after refugee camps were initially established along the Chinese Burma border in territory controlled by the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), UN officials have finally been able to visit.  This after a small UN convoy arrived at the KIO's Laiza headquarters Monday night.

The UN delegation comprising of staff from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), was supposed to arrive last week but was kept in Manmaw (Bhamo) district for several days and prevented from coming to Laiza by the government's chief administrator for Manmaw U Tay Zar Aung, according to a source close to the UN team.

In October the UN’s Special Rapporteur on human rights in Burma, Tomas Ojea Quintana, revealed that a UN offer to deliver food to refugees located in KIO territory was refused by the Burmese government, which claimed the aid wasn’t needed.

Aid groups and human rights activists however have become increasingly alarmed at the deteriorating living conditions in the KIO refugee camps. Over the past 6 weeks several major international human rights groups including Refugees International, Physicians for Human Rights, Partners, and Human Rights Watch have all issued statements warning of the worsening food and health situation for refugees trapped behind KIO lines.

Following the UN team's arrival Monday evening, a four person UN delegation met with KIO relief officials in Laiza to discuss the possibility of delivering aid to camps in KIO controlled territory said Doi Pyi Sa, chairman of KIO's IDP and Refugee Relief Committee (IRRC).  The delegation was led by U Myat Thar of UNICEF and included U Moe Aung from OCHA and U Joseph and U Nay Linn Htat both from UNHCR.

During the day Tuesday, UN and KIO relief officials jointly visited six major IDP camps located in the Laiza area, Doi Pyi Sa added.

Doi Pyi Sa said that his organization also accepted 300 family relief kits from UNICEF and 500 similar kits from UNHCR on Tuesday.  The kits, which contain basic household items to help with the refugees cooking and shelter needs, are to be distributed as soon as possible.

Supplies donated by Burmese government and USDP MP rejected
While accepting supplies from the UN, the IRRC refused a load of supplies brought by the UN that were donated by Burmese officials, according to Doi Pyi Sa.  He reported that the donations were rejected due to what he called the contradictory behavior of the Burmese government, which included recently offering a ceasefire and then launching an offensive against KIO positions.

The rejected relief materials include 1,000 pieces of warm clothing and 300 sacks of rice donated by U Thein Zaw, an MP from the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP).  Also refused were 1,000 family relief kits from the Kachin State government’s Relief and Rehabilitation Center.

An additional 400 family kits from the the Kachin State Red Cross were also declined.  The Kachin State Red Cross is under the control of the Myanmar Red Cross, an entity considered by many in Burma to be heavily influenced by the Burmese military.

La Rip, a co-coordinator with the Laiza based Relief Action Network for IDP and Refugee (RANIR) while pleased that UN officials had arrived in Laiza complained that they should have come much earlier.

“They should have come a long time ago,” La Rip said.  “The UN shouldn’t stop after their first introductory trip,” he added.   “We would like the UN agencies to make a proper survey of all the IDP camps for further relief assistance”, he said.

La Rip added that the UN's World Food Program should also assist IDPs presently living in camps in KIO territory.  The World Food Program since August has assisted in the distribution of rice to IDP's sheltering in government controlled towns such as Myitkyina and Waingmaw, but not in KIO controlled areas.

La Rip also said that both Burma’s central government and the KIO should understand the relief mandate of the various UN agencies.  La Rip noted that he wants to see the UN take a leadership role in refugee relief activities.

Relief groups estimate that more than 56,000 people have been forced to flee their homes since the Burmese government launched its offensive against the KIO in June of this year.  It is estimated that more than 30,000 of these people have taken refuge in camps located in KIO controlled areas along the China border.  An additional 15 - 20,000 people are said to be living in temporary camps located on the Chinese side of the border or are living in Yunnan’s towns and cities including Rulli and Kunming.

Another 6,000 – 8,000people are estimated to have taken refuge in territory controlled by the Burmese government.

On December 10, Burma’s President Thein Sein sent a letter to General Min Aung Hlaing, Commander-in-chief of the country’s Defense Services calling for the army to halt its offensive against the KIO.

While the letter was read out publicly in the Myitkyina City Hall on Monday by the chief minister of Kachin state, KIO sources say the Burmese army has continued its offensive over the past 72 hours.

Sources in Myitkyina report that also on Monday reinforcement troops consisting of two whole train compartments arrived in Myitkyina station, this despite Thein Sein’s pledge of a halt in fighting.

KIO officials reported today that the Burmese army is increasingly troop numbers at its positions near Mai Ja Yang, the KIO’s second largest town.