緬甸東北面中國大陸雲南，西北接印度，東南方銜泰國、寮國，西臨歐洲及非洲海運頻繁往東亞之印度洋或孟加拉灣，地理位置上自屬重要。尤其當國際局勢刻正轉變、大國競爭角力下，印度洋上的發展中國家，因航海運輸的重要性，更成為大國拉攏的對象。緬甸鄰近經濟快速發展之中國大陸，西界又為長達近2,000公里海岸線，且係歐洲、非洲大宗船運貨物行經的海域，自然不能免於其外。近年因一帶一路政策，中國大陸欲從緬甸西岸之皎漂港闢建輸油管道直穿緬甸陸地抵達雲南，越凸顯緬甸戰略位置之關鍵。
少數民族差傳（World Indigenous Research Institute，下稱WIRI）多年來服事的緬甸克欽族主要位於緬甸克欽邦，前述輸油管路線即靠近克欽邦與撣邦之間。克欽邦與緬甸政府的衝突源於自治程度的問題，承襲英國殖民時期對克欽民族的承諾，因為爭取自治造成了克欽邦內大量流離失所的「難民」。
根據1951年通過的「難民地位公約」（Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees），對難民的定義為：「具有正當理由而畏懼，會因為種族、宗教、國籍、特定社會團體的成員身分或政治見解的原因受到迫害，因而居留在其本國之外，由於其畏懼，不願接受其本國保護的任何人。」是以，難民必須離開本國至某一外國，才能被認為國際法上的難民。
不過，當代對難民的討論，已擴大至國內流離失所者（Internally displaced person，簡稱IDP）其義乃因普遍暴力、武裝衝突和人權問題而流離失所但仍在母國境內之人。IDPs的困境絕不亞於國際法上的難民，同樣居無定所、食不飽餐、疾病橫行、無公民權利等等。若以近日受到國際大量關注的阿富汗為例，內部人民將面臨同樣問題，將使您對IDP有更清楚的認識。然而，緬甸克欽邦的IDPs，則是早在2010年即已開始出現，陸續增長人數至16萬多人， 但是一直以來，國際新聞及輿論，對他們的曝光和討論並不多見。
今（2021）年初緬甸發生軍事政變，施行近十年之民主制度驟變為軍事政權，民間秩序大亂，抗議活動遍地開花，近日軍政府又宣布延長該國緊急狀態至2023年8月底。軍政府在此時加強力道對克欽難民的逮捕與攻擊，克欽難民點從23個縮減為18個。該地疫情狀況也不佳，Delta變種病毒讓克欽邦難民區的疫情盛行，但藥物、防護工具及醫護人員都極端匱乏，軍政府也不可能提供協助給他們。
由於軍事政變、違反人權等爭議，西方國家對緬甸展開相關制裁措施，原本在緬甸境內的一些國際人道組織，例如聯合國相關救援組織、進行更廣泛的嚴格審查並導致紛紛自緬甸撤退，使得克欽邦難民除了從WIRI獲得的人道援助外，原本尚有國際人道組織的些微幫補，現在後者對難民的資源完全斷絕，但是WIRI尚繼續對其慘無人道的困境雪中送碳。
WIRI自2012年至今持續提供16萬個緬北IDPs藥物、糧食及建設等主要物資。在此提出2012年至2021年7月底緬北難民相關數據，讓大家對他們的需求一目了然，這些數據，都是根據當地同工的回報所提出。但由於戰亂不易完全統計，死亡人數部分，實際上應是更多。
- 戰爭死亡人數共約3,100人。
- 染疫人數約2,200人，染疫死亡人數約500人。
- 邊境基地需要的醫護用品及經費：
- 10公升氧氣桶200個：US＄85x200=17,000
- 口罩500盒：US＄5x500=2,500
- PPE防護裝：US＄75x200=15,000
- 檢測試劑盒：US＄65x500=32,500
- 需要的住居需求及經費：
- 簡易20x20尺帳棚：US＄25x250=6,250
- 需要的糧食需求及經費：
- 50斤裝大米1000袋：US＄35x1000=35,000
- 總結經費需求為US＄108,250
▌魯瑪夫(WIRI少數民族差傳秘書長)
Myanmar is bordered by Yunnan, China, to the northeast, India to the northwest, Thailand and Laos to the southeast, and Europe and Africa to the west. Shipping frequently goes to the Indian Ocean or the Bay of Bengal in East Asia, making Myanmar’s location geographically important; especially when international situations are changing and the competition among big powers is prominent, developing countries in the Indian Ocean have become the target of big nations because of the importance of navigation and transportation. Myanmar is close to mainland China, where the economy is developing rapidly, and the west is bordered by a coastline of nearly 2,000 kilometers. It is the territorial waters through which bulk cargoes from Europe and Africa travel. Naturally, this is all unavoidable. In recent years, due to the One Belt One Road initiative, the Chinese mainland intends to construct an oil pipeline from Kyaukphyu Port on the west coast of Myanmar to reach Yunnan through Burmese territory. This has highlighted the key to Myanmar’s strategic location.
For many years, World Indigenous Research Institute (WIRI) has served the Burmese Kachin people who are mainly located in Kachin State, Myanmar. The aforementioned pipeline route is close between Kachin State and Shan State. The conflict between the Kachin State and the Burmese government stems from the issue of the degree of autonomy, inheriting the British colonial commitment to the Kachin nation. Due the struggle for autonomy, a large number of “refugees” have been displaced in Kachin State.
According to the “Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees” passed in 1951, refugees are defined as: “having a legitimate reason to be afraid, because of race, religion, nationality, membership of a specific social group, or political opinion forced to stay outside of their home country due to persecution, and because of their fear, they are unwilling to accept the protection of their home country.” Therefore, refugees must leave their nations and flee to certain foreign nations before they can be considered refugees under international law.
However, the current discussion of refugees has expanded to include internally displaced persons (IDP), defined as people who are displaced by widespread violence, armed conflicts, and human rights issues but are still in their home countries. The plight of IDPs is by no means inferior to refugees under international law. They also have no permanent homes, as well as lacking food, and experiencing rampant diseases, and lack of citizenship rights. If you take Afghanistan as an example, which has received a lot of international attention these days, people are facing the same problems, which will give you a clearer understanding of IDP. However, IDPs in Kachin State, Myanmar, began to appear as early as 2010, and the number has increased to more than 160,000. However, there is little international news coverage and very few public commentaries being discussed.
At the beginning of this year (2021), a military coup took place in Myanmar. The democratic system that had been implemented for nearly a decade suddenly became a military regime. Civilian order became chaotic and protests flourished. Recently, the military government announced the extension of the country’s state of emergency until the end of August 2023. At this time, the military government stepped up its efforts to arrest and attack Kachin refugees, reducing the number of Kachin refugee sites from 23 to 18. The pandemic situation in this area is also not well. The Delta variant virus has made the pandemic in the refugee areas of Kachin State very prevalent, but medicine and protective tools and medical staff are extremely scarce, plus the military government are not able to provide assistance to them.
Due to controversies such as military coups and violations of human rights, western countries have imposed relevant sanctions on Myanmar. Some international humanitarian organizations that were originally in Myanmar, such as the relevant United Nations rescue organizations, conducted more extensive scrutiny and led to retreating from Myanmar. In addition to the humanitarian assistance received from WIRI, the refugees in the state originally had some assistance from the international humanitarian organization. Now the latter has completely cut off the resources of the refugees, but WIRI still continues to send needed aid to their brutal plight.
Since 2012, WIRI has continued to provide 160,000 IDPs in northern Myanmar with important needs such as medicines, food and construction. Below are relevant data of refugees in northern Myanmar from 2012 to the end of July 2021, so that everyone can understand their needs at a glance. The data is based on the returns of local co-workers. But since statistics can be hard to collect during time of war, the number of deaths should actually be more.
- Total number of deaths in the war: approximately 3,100.
- Number of people infected with disease is about 2,200, and the number of deaths from the disease is about 500.
- Medical supplies and funds needed by the border base:
- 200 10-liter oxygen tanks: US$85x200=17,000
- 500 boxes of masks: US$5x500=2,500
- PPE: US$75x200=15,000
- Detection kits: US$65x500=32,500
- Required housing needs and expenses:
- Basic 20x20 feet tent: US$25x250=6,250
- Food needs and funding needed:
- 1000 bags of 50 kg of rice: US$35x1000=35,000
- Total funding requirement: US$108,250
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