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Soe Hteik Aung — A human rights group called on all stakeholders to work together to end the fighting in Burma during the coronavirus pandemic. The Network For Human Rights Documentation – Burma (ND-Burma) said all armed conflicts in the ethnic areas of the country need to stop to assist thousands of civilians that are internally displaced during the health crisis.

“ND-Burma believes that true peace in Burma is possible if the Burma Army, EAOs (ethnic armed organisations) and the government work together to overcome all obstacles, including COVID-19, especially when it comes to assisting populations who are highly vulnerable,” the statement said.

Thet Thet Aung, who is the director of Future Light Center (FLC), which is a member group of ND-Burma, told Kantarawaddy Times “we’ve seen that the death rate from the civil war is much higher than from COVID-19 in Burma and this is worrisome.”

The government, Burma Army and EAOs need to respect international human rights, she said. Yet, “as the pandemic quickly spreads across Burma the situation in northern Shan and Rakhine states have become more unstable,” Thet Thet Aung said, citing recent shelling of villages in Rakhine State.

Hostilities between the Burma Army and Arakan Army in Rakhine and southern Chin states have increased in the last month. Many civilians have been killed or injured after the Burma Army launched airstrikes that struck villages.

BNI online

COVID-19 & HUMAN RIGHTS

As cases of COVID-19 spread globally,
there are legitimate concerns that the response in Burma will be rooted in a militarised approach. Burma has formed an emergency task force with military and civilian ministries to support measures around law enforcement and stability and to step up government efforts to respond to the pandemic in the country.

However, these efforts have been met with caution as it appears the Burma Army is only interested in preserving their power through any means possible. The military has their own budget and facilities for health and care, which are inaccessible to the majority of the population. It has been made clear that the military is well prepared to protect themselves from COVID-19, though the same cannot be said for civilians.

Despite a government plan and commitment to provide basic essentials
to poor people to fight COVID-19 including, rice, oil, salt, bean and onion, to those in need during the traditional Thingyan water festival, civil society organisations (CSOs) are worried this is not enough. Government assistance should include Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) as well.

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