Myanmar govt denies accusation of causing ethnic Kayin leaving home

The Myanmar government has denied the claim that the step-in of government troops in Kayin state has caused some 10,000 ethnic people deserted their home, including some 1,800 who reached the border areas.

The denial was made by Minister of Information Brigadier- General Kyaw Hsan, who acted as government spokesman, at a press conference given at the Thabyay Nyunt Village in the state on Saturday.

Kyaw Hsan said that due to internal conflicts among the leadership of the Brigade-2 of the Kayin National Union (KNU) and frequent planting of mines which has caused many deaths of local people and setting of fire of houses in some villages, the ethnic people dared not living there any longer and fled.

For security purpose, he said, the government troops had to intervene and clear up the surrounding areas. He blamed the KNU for intentionally driving out the ethnic people to border areas and cutting links between them and the government troops.

The KNU tried to preach the international community that the villages were displaced by the government offensive, accusing that Myanmar has become a threat to the region in order to insinuate the UN Security Council to take action against Myanmar, he said.

He also pointed out that the United States took a step by waiving its immigration law to receive the "refugees" whom he said are actually KNU terrorists and their families as well as those who were blackmailed as hostages.

Last month, the Myanmar government reiterated its stance that it would not change its attitude towards the KNU, the largest anti- government ethnic armed group in the country, and the government's olive branch is also still being extended to the group.

However, the government expressed regret that the KNU is still found to carry out destructive acts against the government and the people, collaborating with other anti-government terrorist organizations in exile in launching a lot of bomb attacks in recent years until now.

In March last year, the government and the KNU resumed their peace talks in Mawlamyine, the country's Mon state, but without results.

The KNU had fought with the government for nearly six decades since Myanmar's independence in 1948. In 1995 and 1997, the government launched massive military operations against the KNU, overrunning its headquarters on the Myanmar-Thai border in southeastern Kayin state.

The Kayin state has a population of about 7 million, accounting for about 13 percent of the country's total. The government estimated that the KNU holds a military strength of as many as 7, 000.

Since the government adopted a policy of national reconciliation in 1989, 17 anti-government armed groups have made peace with the government, returning to the legal fold under respective cease-fire agreements.

Source: Xinhua