Humanitarian Aid and Emergency Response Group: Magway, Myanmar
We received the following proposal from a humanitarian group in Magway. We have been supporting these activists since the earliest days in February, and their region has now become a center of conflict, with IDP camps springing up and urgent medical needs all around. Please consider sharing this among your community as they need urgent assistance.
Background context of Military Coup in Myanmar
On the first February, Sr. General Min Aung Haling, Commander in Chief of Military, declared that they controlled and took the power on Administration, Legislation and Judiciary and also declared the whole country as a State of Emergency for one year. Later they continued to another two years announced in the Press Conference held in August. Their reason of staging coup is that Daw Aung Sann Su Kyi and National League for Democracy (NLD) did ballot fraud in 2020 election held in November. The reason is their so-called reason which is not even close to the truth. They seized power because of their private interest to protect their own interest. Min Aung Hlaing and the superior generals had a huge number of businesses in every sector of Myanmar’s Economy. Min Aung Hlaing initiated State Administration Council (SAC) to govern the country within this one year. Form that day, SAC’s released a lot of laws to violate and oppress the rights the civilians including freedom of expression, internet restrictions, and so forth.
Starting from 4th February, a young man called Tay Zar San and group came onto the roads to protest followed by the other protests in Yangon lead by the political activists. These protests spread all over the country and thousands of protestors come out of the roads to show civilians want democracy back. Most of the government staff do Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) by not going to the office to delay the government mechanism. As there are comparative large number of government staff in Myanmar’s Bureaucracy, CDM affect the government mechanism enormously and the government can’t operate anymore.
How we are fighting back against Coup Government
1. Various forms of Protesting/ striking all around the country
a. 1100+ innocent civilians have been killed by the military and policy and they are still murdering people (as of 30 September)
b. Brutal tortures by the police and military and thousands of injured people
c. Around 7000 have been detained in the prisons and interrogation centers.
d. Shutting down the internet connection in order to cut off the communication.
2. Civil Disobedience Movement by the civilians
a. Most of the government staff actively participate in CDM
b. Staff do not paid salary from the government since they join the CDM
c. CDM support team appeared in every region to contribute the requirements of CDM staff (funding, counseling, legal aids)
3. National Unity Government
a. Legitimate Government of Myanmar recognized by the UN, US, UK and other countries except China, Russia and most ASEAN countries
b. Start coordination with EAOs (Ethnic Armed Organizations), ethnic political party and international community.
Starting from the 19 February when the first innocent civilian victim has got a headshot by a police officer, the military and the police has been committing murders, massacre in the remote villages and brutal tortures. They also burnt down the cities and villages making the residents and villages fled away from the homes and workplaces. The number of internally displaced people (IDPs) due to the military attack reached approximately 32000 in Kachin, Chin State and Magway Region (OCHA,2019).
Background Information about the group
Magway Region is comprised with 25 particular townships with different topographic landscapes. Approximately five townships are dry-zone areas and some townships are boarded with Chin Hill and Rakhine Mountain Range. Magway also has a considerable number of Internally Displaced People (IDPs) A village called “Kin Ma” in Pauk Township had entirely been burnt down by the coup military on 15 June. People fled to the nearest places for their safety. Moreover, there are also warfare between the coup military and People Defense Forces and the local villagers have to displace to other places.
This is a group of young, active local people from the different townships within Magway Region, Myanmar. Those people have been gathered together to assist those who are directly affected by the attack and torture of coup army in the remote areas. The group has eight core members from respective townships for regional-level coordination and each township has its own network for activity implementation.
Problem Statement
In Chin State, clashes between the Chinland Defence Forces (CDF) and Myanmar Armed Forces (MAF) continued across a number of townships until early June and more than 20,000 people are currently hosted in over 100 displacement sites in five townships in Chin State, one in Magway and another in Sagaing regions. In June, a village in Magway Region had been burnt out and the villagers fled to into the forest. The number of IDPs in that area of Gant Gaw area of Magway Region has reached 12000. It costs 1200000 MMK (~USD 600) per day for the meals of those people. In addition to this, the winter is coming in October and the necessity of blanket and shelter will be the must.
Objectives
- To distribute blankets, shelter and food (mainly rice) for IDPs
Activities
The HAERG has experienced in working under pressure and emergency situation as most of its members have previous experience in supporting CDM staff, the IDP from Mindat and Saw and Pauk Area. A regional network has already formed to implement activities in the upcoming events.