Agenda Item 14

Agenda Item 14(c): Mass Exoduses and Displaced Persons

Worldview International Foundation

58^th Session of the UN Commission on Human Rights
Geneva, Switzerland
April 2002

Owing to time constraints, only underlined text will be uttered.

Chair,

I am speaking on behalf of Worldview International Foundation. I am from Karen State in Burma, currently living in exile in Thailand.

I would like to bring to your attention the situation of displaced people in my country, particularly in the armed conflict and ethnic nationality areas, using my State as an example.

The massive forced relocation, displacement and other types of involuntary population movements carried out by the Burmese military regime in the rural areas of Karen State since 1997 is continuing to this day.

It is estimated that there are about 100-200,000 displaced people from Karen State alone, up to a million in the whole of Burma. [1]

Most of the displaced are farmers and their families who have been dispossessed of their homes and land without compensation by the Burmese army;
Thousands have been relocated to sites by the Burmese army to work at their army barracks, or on road or rail construction projects, and other projects without pay;
Thousands more are internally displaced, hiding in the jungle trying to survive without seeking sanctuary across the border in Thailand;

There are now over 110,000 official Karen refugees sheltered along the Thai-Burma border. In his report to the Commission, the Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Burma, states, ‘An average of 300-700 new asylums seekers may cross into Thailand every month’. Most of these new arrivals lived for some time as IDPs.

Many IDPs hide in the jungle near their old villages. Trying to survive, they face tremendous hardship. They live without regular food, shelter, access to medical care and security. Relocated villages are declared " free fire" zones. The Burmese army searches for the hiding places of IDPs by using mobile troops and airplanes. If people are found in these ‘free fire zones’ they are shot on sight. Possessions such as paddy, household items, goods and commodities are either taken away or burnt down. Domestic animals are eaten or killed. People have to move every three, four days to a new place, however farms are unmovable and airplanes can spot them easily.

Displaced people have to forage for food in the forests and jungles. Women risk being molested, raped and even killed by Burmese army soldiers if found.

A major issue confronting IDPs is the lack of access to health care. When they move they cannot carry blankets or mosquito nets with them. They make fires to make themselves warm and the smoke protects them from mosquitoes. But if troops are nearby, they do not dare to make a fire or smoke, fearing the troops will see them. So they get cold, mosquitoes bite them, and they suffer from colds or malaria. Up to 80% to 90% of IDPs suffer from malaria.

Lack of fresh water causes health problems such as the flu, jaundice, diarrhea, dysentery and pneumonia. Most children suffer from malnutrition, older people and pregnant women suffer from nutritional deficiency. There is a shortage of medicine, midwives or skilled traditional birth attendants. Women often face difficulties or their lives when delivering.

Chair

The military continues its policy of forced relocation and forced resettlement in Karen State as well as other ethnic nationality areas. As long as these violations continue, the number of displaced people will increase and more will flee across the border to Thailand to seek asylum as they won’t be able to survive hiding in the jungle forever.

I sincerely request the Commission and the international community to urge the military regime to end forced relocations and displacement in Karen State, and other ethnic nationality areas, and all other forms of human rights violations in Burma.

Thank you.

[1] See Report on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, prepared by Mr. Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights, in accordance with Commission resolution 2001/15, UN. Doc. E/CN.4/2002/45, at para. 100.