Burma Civil Society Organizations concerned at UN aid funds being weaponized by the military-appointed State Administration Council issued a statement calling for an end to the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance (ASEAN AHA Center) and the United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) decision to conduct humanitarian assessments in collaboration with the Military Council.

The statement warned ASEAN and UN are at risk of being conspirators in the Military’s State Administration Council plans to use humanitarian aid as a weapon. The Civil Society Alliance warned if ASEAN and the UN continue to work with the Military Council on aid assessments, due to start in June, those communities in desperate need of humanitarian assistance would miss out.

The alliance joint statement pointed out that ASEAN and UN aid programs, implemented without relevant consultation with local organizations would instead be used by the military Council to continue its crimes against humanity – torching towns, artillery and aerial strikes on villages and killing civilians.

Naw Wah Khu Shee, a spokesperson for the alliance, said in the statement, “It will not be effective if they were to provide aid without involving the relevant local organizations in decision making and implementation. It is as if the organizations assisting aid in the region have been ignored. The military junta is the root of the problems that are currently causing harm to the people of Burma. That is why the Military Council cannot be a partner in providing this assistance.”

The joint statement also stated that the ASEAN and UN programs, which would be implemented without consultation with relevant organizations, would not be able to extend aid to local civilians in need and would instead encourage the military council’s violent atrocities.

Khin Ohnmar, director of Progressive Voice, said in the statement, “Their policy of neutrality is a joke since OCHA and AHA failed to work with all the relevant organizations. They instead joined forces with the military council. They (the Military Council) are the root [cause] of this humanitarian crisis and the ones committing atrocities.”

Khin Ohnmar explained conducting assessments to distribute aid in partnership with the Military Council’s working group only legitimizes war crimes. Khin Ohnmar stressed OCHA and AHA must listen to the voice of the people of Burma and immediately suspend these assessment programs, and start engaging in meaningful dialogue with all those organizations – civil society, community-based-organizations, humanitarian and ethnic armed organizations – working in the regions.

At the ASEAN Consultative Meeting to provide humanitarian assistance to Myanmar, held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia from May 5 to 6, Ko Ko Hlaing, Minister for International Cooperation of the Military Council, was allowed to attend. The ASEAN AHA center and United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) decided that assistance should be provided with the approval of the Military appointed State Administration Council’s Working Group.

ASEAN aid areas include Karenni (Kayah) State, Karen State, Magway Division, Sagaing Division, and Bago Division. Preparations and assessment process design have been finalized to carry out the relief work without consulting with the relevant EAOs and NUG. The assessment process will be conducted starting this coming June.

The Karen Peace Support Network (KPSN), Progressive Voice, Karenni Civil Society Network (KCSN), Chin Human Rights Organizations (CHRO), and ALTSEAN-Burma who are included in the joint statement called on the international community to provide cross-border humanitarian assistance without the intervention of the Military Council and to prioritize providing aid through local civil society and humanitarian organizations.

Three organizations in the area where aid assessment will be conducted; such as Karen National Union (KNU), Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP), and Chin National Front (CNF); issued a joint statement on May 30 rejecting the UN and ASEAN plan to collaborate with the Military Council.

The joint statement also stated that the ASEAN and UN programs, which would be implemented without consultation with relevant organizations, would not be able to extend aid to local civilians in need and would instead encourage the military council’s violent atrocities.

The Karen Peace Support Network (KPSN), Progressive Voice, Karenni Civil Society Network (KCSN), Chin Human Rights Organizations (CHRO), and ALTSEAN-Burma who are included in the joint statement called on the international community to provide cross-border humanitarian assistance without the intervention of the Military Council and to prioritize providing aid through local civil society and humanitarian organizations.

On May 7, NUG issued a statement, expressing the concern and disappointment over the decision of the ASEAN Consultative Meeting. Local and international human rights organizations, civil society organizations, and the Special Advisory Council for Myanmar (SAC-M) have also expressed their opposition to ASEAN’s decision.

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