Memorandum submitted by the Mon Relief
and Development Committee
I. INTRODUCTION
The civil war—the conflict between the
central government and ethnic armed oppositions—have prolonged
over five decades and thousands of innocent ethnic civilians in
the rural areas have suffered from gross human rights violations,
displacement and food-shortage problems. After 1990s, when the
ruling regime, SLORC (State Law and Order Restoration Council)
and current military regime SPDC (State Peace and Development
Council) has extent it's armed troops and launched more and more
offensives against armed oppositions. Because of the serious offensives
against not only the ethnic armed groups, but also the ethnic
civilians.
Many of villages were burnt down by troops of
Burmese Army (the ruling regime's armed force) and the villagers
were forcibly relocated from their homes. On the other hand, the
ethnic refugees those crossed into the border since 1980s during
the Burma's socialist government and later during SLORC/SPDC era
still do not have any opportunity to return to their homes. Over
a half million of displaced persons are still displaced in eastern
part of the border with Thailand.
The political situation has not improved since
the ruling regime always rejected the political dialogue and planned
to hold on in the political power as long as possible. Although
the regime agreed for ceasefire agreement with some ethnic armed
groups, it is really not a political solution. The ethnic people
those their political armed groups are agreeing for ceasefire
still various types of harassment and intimidation by the government
authorities and soldiers of Burmese Army.
II. NEEDS OF
IDPS
If compared with the 140,000 refugees in Thailand,
the IDPs face worst situation to reach to aid assistance. In refugee
camps, many NGOs or aid agencies has involved in assisting them
in terms of food supplies, education, health care and other basic
needs. But for the displaced persons in Tenasserim Division, Mon
State, Karen State, Karenni (Kayah) State and Shan State are not
provided with various types of assistance.
Thailand Burma Border Consortium (TBBC) and
it's program Emergency Relief Assistance (ERA) coordinated with
the local ethnic relief organisations and have supported emergency
food assistance by cash or by rice for at least three months supplies.
But the current assistance to IDPs are not sufficient.
There are many needs among the IDPs who are
the most difficult situation. The needs are as below:
Food
The IDPs needs more foods than three months
supplies. Some ethnic relief organisation, MRDC, can support direct
food assistance while some have to support with cashes to buy
foods for three months. The IDPs themselves manage to buy these
food supplies.
Clothing and sheltering
Most displaced villagers does not have sufficient
clothes when the fled from their homes. They have just one or
two sets of clothes. They also need these clothing and some sheltering
assistance to create some temporary shelters.
Medicines and medical care
Medical NGOs or the local ethnic health organisations
need to provide more health care to IDPs because they are seriously
in needs of medical assistance. During the displacement, many
IDPs including women and children suffer from various types of
diseases.
Mobile education program
The displaced children also need for education.
In some areas, the displaced communities also establish some temporary
schools for children. Both teachers and students need assistance
to operate mobile education system.
III. DISPLACEMENT
EFFECTED ETHNIC
GROUPS AND
CHALLENGES FOR
ASSISTANCE
Displacement effected ethnic groups in eastern
part of Burma are Mon, Karen, Tavoyan, Karenni, Shan, Pa-oh and
other ethnic groups.
Currently, with the corroboration of local armed
groups and political groups in eastern part of Burma, the ethnic
relief organisations can operate their relief programs with various
challenges.
Some challenges are as below:
— There are more and more troops of
Burmese Army in eastern part of Burma and the relief organisations
need more armed escorts in operation of their relief program.
— The displaced persons sometimes,
even they received cashes it made them some difficulties to purchase
foods. But the local traders are helping them.
IV. ADVANTAGES
AND DISADVANTAGES
OF CROSS
BORDER ASSISTANCE
If DFID agrees to support more for the IDPs
in Burma it will be much benefit for the IDPs.
Main advantage is the aid can stop food-shortage
among the displaced persons. Most displaced persons can not find
sufficient foods in forest and they need food or cash to buy foods.
Aid can also support for medical supplies and medical treatment
to the patients in forests and mountainous area. If the supports
for children's education and assistance for sheltering and clothing
is added, they can male better situation of the IDPs.
Some disadvantages could be slow reach of assistance
because of the security, the SPDC troops and other armed groups
will follow and plan to stop the assistance, and could not set
up the programs that could support to all IDPs.
V. IMPACTS OF
DFID ASSISTANCE
If DFID can extend it's relief program up to
IDPs, it will have so great impacts, because the ethnic relief
organisations need more assistance to provide the IDPs. They not
only need to support emergency food assistance, they also want
to support with other sufficient assistance, like health care
and education assistance.
DFID can learn from TBBC's ERA program how it
set frameworks for the IDPs relief program. ERA program is reliable
and essential for the IDPs.
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