Aung San Suu Kyi is visiting the UK in the latest stage of her historic visit to Europe PA
Christian Solidarity Worldwide has backed Aung San Suu Kyi’s call for
an increase in aid to Burmese refugees along the Thai-Burma border.
Suu Kyi made the appeal in her Nobel Peace Prize lecture in Oslo,
during which she recounted her recent visit to the Mae La refugee camp.
She relayed the concerns about “donor fatigue” from workers at the
camps, which she added could “could translate as ‘compassion’ fatigue”.
“Donor fatigue expresses itself precisely in the reduction of funding,” she said.
“‘Compassion fatigue’ expresses itself less obviously in the reduction of concern. One is the consequence of the other.
“I appeal to donors the world over to fulfil the needs of these
people who are in search, often it must seem to them a vain search, of
refuge.”
CSW said that cuts in funding from the international community,
including the European Union, had resulted in reductions to food rations
of up to 25 per cent.
Provisions of clothing, blankets, mosquito nets and shelter had also suffered.
The human and religious rights group said the cuts were having a
serious impact on the health of more than 140,000 people staying in
camps along the Thai-Burma border as a result of inter-ethnic conflict.
CSW has made numerous visits to Burma, where it has documented the
ransacking and destruction of churches. It reports that Christians have
faced the choice of being used as forced labour or staying in the
refugee camps.
Suu Kyi is visiting the UK for the next four days, during which she
will become the first non-head of state to address both Houses of
Parliament in Westminster on Thursday.
She will also meet David Cameron and members of Burma’s exiled community in the UK.
CSW’s East Asia team leader, Benedict Rogers said her visit was
“hugely significant and historic” and a “sign of the positive changes in
Burma”.
However, he warned that serious human rights violations were
continuing in Burma despite the reforms of the last year, including
attacks by the military on ethnic civilians in Kachin State and the
detention of hundreds of prisoners of conscience in jail.
“Religious freedom must be protected, and inter-religious and inter-ethnic dialogue promoted," he said.
"It is essential that at this time of potential change in Burma, the
international community invests in the lives of refugees, to ensure that
they can return home in good health, security and with skills to
contribute to reconstruction and reconciliation in their country when
the time is right.
“Britain is the largest bi-lateral donor to Burma and has provided
significant assistance which is welcome, but now is the time to act to
ensure that the basic needs of refugees and internally displaced peoples
are met and that a serious humanitarian challenge caused by a shortage
of funding can be averted.”
Source : http://www.christiantoday.com
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