the, predominantly Christian, Karen community, in nearly a decade, a major advocacy group announced Monday, May 8.
UK-based Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) said the May 16 protests come as the number of Karen civilians fleeing their homes in the country’s Karen State region rose "dramatically" in recent weeks with over 13,000 people reportedly being displaced in jungle areas.
Investigators told BosNewsLife that unarmed villagers have been shot at point-blank range, and that several bodies were found which were severely mutilated and beheaded.
"A nine year-old girl was shot, after seeing her father and grandmother killed. Thousands of people are currently hiding in the jungle, without food, medicine or shelter," CSW added.
Another group active in Burma, The Free Burma Rangers, described the crisis as the worst since 1997 and said there was an "immediate" need for medicine and food.
MILITARY GOVERNMENT
Villagers have been attacked amid an ongoing struggle between the current military government, known as the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) and mainly Christian ethnic groups, including the Karen and smaller Karenni, Shan, Mon, Chin, Kachin, Arakan and Rohingya minorities, BosNewsLife established.
The SPDC consists of a group of generals who have governed Burma, also known as Myanmar, by decree without a constitution or legislature since 1988, when armed forces suppressed massive pro-democracy demonstrations.
SPDC officials have denied wrongdoing and accuse Westerners and "internal destructive elements" of spreading "fabrications." Like previous governments in the country, the generals claim they have a sacred obligation to hold the nation of 43 million together and stamp out "separatist rebellions" among its 135 officially recognized races. Human rights workers claim the SPDC fears the spread among especially the Karen people of Christianity, which it sees as a pro-Western religion and a threat to its ideology and power base.
SECURITY COUNCIL
Several activists have urged the United Nations Security Council to address the crisis. Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, Church World Service, Refugees International and the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions “have all added their voices to the campaign for UN Security Council action," CSW said.
"The UN Security Council recently passed a general resolution condemning attacks on civilians and sexual violence against women in armed conflict. [That] Resolution 1674 should [also] be applied to the current situation in Burma," CSW Chief Executive Mervyn Thomas told BosNewsLife in a statement.
Thomas stressed it was also important that the UN urges the military government of Burma, also known as Myanmar, to engage in "tripartite dialogue with the democracy and ethnic groups, release all political prisoners and open up the country to international humanitarian aid and human rights groups should be introduced."
Thomas added that the "regime should also be required to announce an unconditional nationwide ceasefire."
LONDON PROTEST
In London, a protest was scheduled from 12.30-14.00 pm local time on May 16 outside the Burmese Embassy at 19a Charles Street.
The Karen community in the United Kingdom, dressed in traditional costume, was to lead the demonstration wich will also likely include politicians such as John Bercow , Co-Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Democracy in Burma and other parliamentarians. Violinist Ruth Rogers, who recently visited refugees and Internally Displaced People on the Thai-Burmese border, will play at the protest, CSW said.
"This protest is a very important opportunity to raise urgently needed attention for the plight of the thousands of people currently suffering cruel and brutal attacks by Burma’s military regime," Thomas added.
"We fully support this action, and urge people across the world to join together in crying out for the suffering Karen people, and all the people of Burma who are oppressed by this illegal regime whose behavior has been over-looked by the world for too long." (With BosNewsLife reports from Burma and BosNewsLife Research).
