In late May and early June the Burmese Army and its allies, the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army, began moving troops into part of Pa’an District of Karen State, on the Thai-Burma border. Soldiers have recruited up to 200 people as slave labour to carry military equipment, and more than 4,000 people have been forced to flee their homes. Another 4,000 are at risk.
More than 3,300 villages in Eastern Burma have been destroyed in the past 15 years. Hundreds of thousands have been forced from their homes. The situation constitutes a humanitarian crisis and a threat to international peace and security. War crimes and crimes against humanity are being committed by the Burmese military dictatorship.
Statements from the relevant UN bodies about the current crisis follow:
United Nations Security Council:
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon:
United Nations Special Advisor on Burma, Ibrahim Gambari:
United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights, Thomas Ojea Quintana:
International Labour Organisation:
To interview someone about the lack on UN action, please call Zoya Phan, International Co-ordinator of Burma Campaign UK on 020 7324 4710