Mizzima
The Karen National Union (KNU) has responded to the delivery of humanitarian aid by the Thai government to help people in distress in Karen State.
The following is the statement issued this week on 27 March by the KNU:
KNU Statement Regarding the Royal Thai Government’s Humanitarian Aid Delivery
On the 25th of March 2024, at the 2nd Thailand-Myanmar Friendship Bridge, Mae Sot, Thailand, the Thai
Red Cross Society handed over aid packages to the Myanmar Red Cross Society, through the Royal Thai
Government’s Humanitarian Aid Program. The aid packages were distributed to 20,000 Internally
Displaced Persons (IDPs) who fled into Karen National Union (KNU) control areas; Nabu Township,
Paingkyon Township, and Tha Ma Nya (Don Yin Township), due to SAC’s air strikes, artillery attacks, looting and burning of civilian houses.
The Karen Border Guard Force (BGF) transported the aid materials through Myawaddy via Thay Ka Tae.
Officials from the Royal Thai Army accompanied them to observe the aid deliveries. Officials from the
KNU’s Hpa-an District received 3,874 aid packages from Royal Thai Army officials in Nabu Township and
handed them over to CIDKP (Committee for Internally Displaced Karen People) and respective community leaders that assist and care for the IDPs.
In Paingkyon Township and Tha Ma Nya (Don Yin Township), officials from SAC and the Myanmar Red
Cross Society (MRCS) unexpectedly participated in the delivery of humanitarian aid. Our leaders were able to distribute them completely and with restraint despite the challenges.
Although there was a lack of information and challenges, we, the KNU would like to express our gratitude on behalf of the Karen IDP to the Royal Thai Government for the humanitarian assistance. We would like to share KNU’s position regarding humanitarian assistance as follows:
- The humanitarian crisis in Burma/Myanmar is a man-made humanitarian crisis caused by SAC
intentionally targeting of civilians. - SAC always seeks ways to take political advantage of humanitarian aid, and the Myanmar Red
Cross Society (MRCS) is a military reserve force, and an organization that supports the SAC.
Providing humanitarian aid through MRCS is showing an indifference to the suffering of the
people because MRCS is working for SAC that deliberately targets its own people. - On 26 March 2024, while humanitarian aid was being delivered in Paingkyon Township, a SAC
fighter jet flew over the town at 12:15 pm, which made the IDPs flee in fear. We are deeply
saddened for those IDPs. - Although providing humanitarian aid to IDPs can develop trust between all stakeholders,
transparency, accountability, and consultation between the parties on all sides is crucial, and
activities that damage trust between the relevant parties only deepen the problem. - KNU has sent a proposed concept on appropriate aid delivery regarding Burma/Myanmar’s
humanitarian crisis to ASEAN countries and the Royal Thai Government. - As almost of the whole country is in urgent need of humanitarian aid during this period, we
request that humanitarian aid is provided only after information sharing and consultation on all
sides and among all relevant stakeholders with transparency, responsibility, and accountability is done.
