Myanmar Resistance Groups Hope For Aid Boost After Meeting With Top Biden Advisor
Senior officers of two ethnic armed organizations allied with the civilian National Union Government (NUG) say they hope a meeting late last month with a key foreign policy advisor to US President Joseph Biden will result in the delivery of more humanitarian assistance to people affected by the escalating conflict in Myanmar.
Their statements follow a meeting late last month between leaders of the four ethnic armed organizations and US State Department Counsellor Derek Chollet.
On March 29, Chollet wrote on the social media platform formally known as Twitter: “Met today with leaders of Burma’s ‘K3C’ ethnic group alliance on their extraordinary efforts to pursue a federal democracy in Burma.”
“We discussed steps for the international community to expand assistance to those in need and secure a better future for the people of Burma,” he said, referring to Myanmar by its previous name.
The K3C comprises four of the country’s oldest ethnic armed organizations: the Kachin Independence Organization, Karen National Union, Karenni National Progressive Party and Chin National Front.
The coalition is politically aligned with the NUG and cooperates militarily with its armed wing, the People’s Defense Force.
The armed wings of the four ethnic groups have driven the junta’s military from large swathes of Chin, Kachin, Karen, Karenni (Kayah) and Mon states as well as Bago and Tanintharyi regions.
U Aung San Myint, a general secretary of the Karenni National Progressive Party, told The Irrawaddy that representatives of the four groups discussed providing aid to those affected by escalating fighting between resistance groups and the junta’s military.
They agreed that Washington will provide humanitarian aid to refugees on Myanmar’s borders, U Aung San Myint said.
He also said the Washington will cooperate with ethnic armed groups battling junta troops to provide the aid.
“He [Chollet] told us they will continue to cooperate with us” U Aung San Myint said.
Chin National Front spokesperson Salai Htet Ni told the Irrawaddy on that Chollet was informed at the meeting that junta boss Min Aung Hlaing vowed again to eradicate ethnic armed organizations and the NUG.
Min Aung Hlaing pledged to do so in a speech marking the 79th Myanmar Armed Force Day on March 25.
Salai Htet Ni said he hoped the meeting with Chollet would lead to more help from Washington.
“Despite this being a regular meeting between us [K3C] and the US, we hope that the US will give special consideration [for our country] soon,” he said, explaining that the groups has had regular meetings with US officials.
The US government recently approved a US$ 121 million aid budget for the people of Myanmar under the US National Defense Authorization Act.
The aid will be directed to those affected by fighting and conflict and those who participate in the democracy movement.
Myanmar has been in crisis since the military ousted the democratically elected government on Feb. 1, 2021. The junta’s military has faced escalating attacks by ethnic armed organizations and PDFs nationwide since then and has lost control over much of the country.
Internationally, the junta is shunned, drawing support primarily from other pariah states.
Domestically, Myanmar is experiencing an escalating humanitarian catastrophe. About 2.8 million people have been displaced by fighting between resistance groups and regime forces since the coup, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said on Wednesday.
