{"id":3872,"date":"2018-04-30T13:02:02","date_gmt":"2018-04-30T06:32:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/equalitymyanmar.org\/new-eng\/?p=3872"},"modified":"2026-01-28T12:55:48","modified_gmt":"2026-01-28T06:25:48","slug":"myanmar-violence-thousands-flee-fresh-fighting-in-kachin-state","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/equalitymyanmar.org\/?p=3872","title":{"rendered":"Myanmar violence: Thousands flee fresh fighting in Kachin state"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"story-body__introduction\">Thousands of people have fled renewed fighting between the army and ethnic Kachin rebels in Myanmar\u2019s northernmost state.<\/p>\n<p>Some 4,000 people have been driven from their homes since early April, according to the UN.<\/p>\n<p>It comes as a longstanding conflict between the Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO) and government troops escalates.<\/p>\n<p>The military is said to be pounding the rebels with airstrikes and artillery.<\/p>\n<p>As well as the thousands displaced, there are fears that many people remain trapped in conflict-stricken areas, near the border with China. Aid organisations have urged the government to allow them access.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"story-body__unordered-list\">\n<li class=\"story-body__list-item\"><a class=\"story-body__link\" href=\"http:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-asia-pacific-12992883\">Myanmar profile<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"story-body__list-item\"><a class=\"story-body__link\" href=\"http:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-asia-41189748\">Tales of horror from Myanmar<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u201cOur biggest concern is for the safety of civilians \u2013 including pregnant women, the elderly, small children and people with disabilities,\u201d Mark Cutts, the head of the UN\u2019s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), told AFP news agency.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe must ensure that these people are protected.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"story-body__crosshead\">Who are the Kachin rebels?<\/h2>\n<p>In addition to the Rohingya crisis in western Myanmar (also known as Burma), the country\u2019s north has seen clashes involving other ethnic minorities.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"media-landscape no-caption full-width\"><span class=\"image-and-copyright-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"responsive-image__img js-image-replace no-display appear\" src=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/624\/cpsprodpb\/1820C\/production\/_101082889_kachinmyanmar9760418.png\" alt=\"Map of Kachin state in Myanmar\" width=\"976\" height=\"549\" data-highest-encountered-width=\"624\" \/><\/span><\/figure>\n<p>The Kachin, who are mostly Christian, have fought for greater autonomy in this predominantly Buddhist nation since 1961.<\/p>\n<p>Across Kachin and northern Shan state, an estimated 120,000 people are displaced by the fighting.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"story-body__link\" href=\"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-asia-34536002\">The Myanmar government has for the past six years pursued peace agreements<\/a>\u00a0with many other ethnic insurgent armies, says the BBC\u2019s South Asia correspondent Jonathan Head.<\/p>\n<p>But fighting with the relatively well-armed KIO has continued, and they remain one of the most powerful rebel groups.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"story-body__crosshead\">Why the surge in violence?<\/h2>\n<p>Sporadic fighting has taken place since a ceasefire broke down between the KIO and the military in 2011.<\/p>\n<p>Rights groups say the army has stepped up its campaign while global attention focuses on the Rohingya crisis, which has seen some 700,000 people flee to Bangladesh.<\/p>\n<div class=\"social-embed\">\n<div class=\"social-embed-post social-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"embed embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"embed-region\" role=\"region\" aria-label=\"Twitter post by @MarkCutts\"><a class=\"off-screen jump-link\" href=\"http:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-asia-43933332?SThisFB#jump-linkhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/MarkCutts\/status\/989875993601949696\">Skip Twitter post by @MarkCutts<\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"twitter-wrap\">\n<div class=\"SandboxRoot env-bp-350\" data-twitter-event-id=\"0\">\n<div id=\"twitter-widget-0\" class=\"EmbeddedTweet EmbeddedTweet--edge EmbeddedTweet--mediaForward media-forward js-clickToOpenTarget js-tweetIdInfo tweet-InformationCircle-widgetParent\" lang=\"en\" data-click-to-open-target=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MarkCutts\/status\/989875993601949696\" data-iframe-title=\"Twitter Tweet\" data-dt-full=\"%{hours12}:%{minutes} %{amPm} - %{day} %{month} %{year}\" data-dt-explicit-timestamp=\"9:06 PM - Apr 27, 2018\" data-dt-months=\"Jan|Feb|Mar|Apr|May|Jun|Jul|Aug|Sep|Oct|Nov|Dec\" data-dt-am=\"AM\" data-dt-pm=\"PM\" data-dt-now=\"now\" data-dt-s=\"s\" data-dt-m=\"m\" data-dt-h=\"h\" data-dt-second=\"second\" data-dt-seconds=\"seconds\" data-dt-minute=\"minute\" data-dt-minutes=\"minutes\" data-dt-hour=\"hour\" data-dt-hours=\"hours\" data-dt-abbr=\"%{number}%{symbol}\" data-dt-short=\"%{day} %{month}\" data-dt-long=\"%{day} %{month} %{year}\" data-scribe=\"page:tweet\" data-tweet-id=\"989875993601949696\" data-twitter-event-id=\"1\">\n<article class=\"MediaCard\n           MediaCard--mediaForward\n\n           customisable-border\" dir=\"ltr\" data-scribe=\"component:card\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"MediaCard-mediaContainer js-cspForcedStyle\" data-style=\"padding-bottom: 50%\">\n<div class=\"MediaCard-mediaAsset ImageGrid ImageGrid--3 ImageGrid--roundedTop\"><a class=\"ImageGrid-image ImageGrid-image-0 CroppedImage CroppedImage--fillHeight\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MarkCutts\/status\/989875993601949696\/photo\/1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"CroppedImage-image js-cspForcedStyle no-display appear aligncenter\" title=\"View image on Twitter\" src=\"https:\/\/pbs.twimg.com\/media\/Dby-9L4U0AYq4P8?format=jpg&amp;name=small\" alt=\"View image on Twitter\" width=\"553\" height=\"368\" data-image=\"https:\/\/pbs.twimg.com\/media\/Dby-9L4U0AYq4P8\" data-style=\"left:-14%;\" \/><\/a><a class=\"ImageGrid-image ImageGrid-image-1 CroppedImage CroppedImage--fillWidth\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MarkCutts\/status\/989875993601949696\/photo\/1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"CroppedImage-image js-cspForcedStyle no-display appear aligncenter\" title=\"View image on Twitter\" src=\"https:\/\/pbs.twimg.com\/media\/Dby-9MAVQAA9zyB?format=jpg&amp;name=small\" alt=\"View image on Twitter\" width=\"654\" height=\"436\" data-image=\"https:\/\/pbs.twimg.com\/media\/Dby-9MAVQAA9zyB\" data-style=\" top:-8%;\" \/><\/a><a class=\"ImageGrid-image ImageGrid-image-2 CroppedImage CroppedImage--fillWidth\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MarkCutts\/status\/989875993601949696\/photo\/1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"CroppedImage-image js-cspForcedStyle no-display appear aligncenter\" title=\"View image on Twitter\" src=\"https:\/\/pbs.twimg.com\/media\/Dby-9L6V4AAmOwv?format=jpg&amp;name=small\" alt=\"View image on Twitter\" width=\"653\" height=\"435\" data-image=\"https:\/\/pbs.twimg.com\/media\/Dby-9L6V4AAmOwv\" data-style=\" top:-7%;\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"EmbeddedTweet-tweet\">\n<blockquote class=\"Tweet h-entry js-tweetIdInfo subject expanded\" cite=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MarkCutts\/status\/989875993601949696\" data-tweet-id=\"989875993601949696\" data-scribe=\"section:subject\">\n<div class=\"Tweet-header\"><a class=\"TweetAuthor-avatar Identity-avatar u-linkBlend\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MarkCutts\" data-scribe=\"element:user_link\" aria-label=\"Mark Cutts (screen name: MarkCutts)\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"Avatar Avatar--edge no-display appear\" src=\"https:\/\/pbs.twimg.com\/profile_images\/3655228923\/3ec234642ecfe0f2f4203dcab7a3d849_bigger.jpeg\" alt=\"\" data-scribe=\"element:avatar\" data-src-2x=\"https:\/\/pbs.twimg.com\/profile_images\/3655228923\/3ec234642ecfe0f2f4203dcab7a3d849_bigger.jpeg\" data-src-1x=\"https:\/\/pbs.twimg.com\/profile_images\/3655228923\/3ec234642ecfe0f2f4203dcab7a3d849_normal.jpeg\" \/><\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"TweetAuthor js-inViewportScribingTarget\" data-scribe=\"component:author\">\n<div class=\"TweetAuthor-nameScreenNameContainer\"><span class=\"TweetAuthor-decoratedName\"><span class=\"TweetAuthor-name Identity-name customisable-highlight\" title=\"Mark Cutts\" data-scribe=\"element:name\">Mark Cutts<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TweetAuthor-screenName Identity-screenName\" dir=\"ltr\" title=\"@MarkCutts\" data-scribe=\"element:screen_name\">@MarkCutts<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Tweet-brand\">\n<div class=\"Icon Icon--twitter \" title=\"View on Twitter\" role=\"presentation\" aria-label=\"View on Twitter\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Tweet-body e-entry-content\" data-scribe=\"component:tweet\">\n<div class=\"u-hiddenVisually js-inViewportScribingTarget\"><\/div>\n<p class=\"Tweet-text e-entry-title\" dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">More photos of civilians in Kachin State, Myanmar, leaving the Injangyang area today because of fighting<\/p>\n<div class=\"Tweet-metadata dateline\"><a class=\"u-linkBlend u-url customisable-highlight long-permalink\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MarkCutts\/status\/989875993601949696\" data-datetime=\"2018-04-27T14:36:42+0000\" data-scribe=\"element:full_timestamp\"><time class=\"dt-updated\" title=\"Time posted: April 27, 2018 14:36:42 (UTC)\" datetime=\"2018-04-27T14:36:42+0000\">9:06 PM \u2013 Apr 27, 2018<\/time><\/a><\/div>\n<ul class=\"Tweet-actions Tweet-action--newsActions\" role=\"menu\" data-scribe=\"component:actions\" aria-label=\"Tweet actions\">\n<li class=\"Tweet-action Tweet-action--newsAction\">\n<div class=\"Icon Icon--heartEdge TweetAction-icon\" role=\"img\" data-scribe=\"element:heart\"><\/div>\n<p><a class=\"Tweet-action--heart TweetAction TweetAction--heartEdge\" title=\"Like\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/like?tweet_id=989875993601949696\" data-scribe=\"component:actions\"><span class=\"TweetAction-stat\" data-scribe=\"element:heart_count\">58<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"Tweet-action Tweet-action--newsAction\">\n<div class=\"Icon Icon--replyEdge TweetAction-icon\" role=\"img\" data-scribe=\"element:conversation_icon\"><\/div>\n<p><a class=\"Tweet-action--replyEdge TweetAction TweetAction--replyEdge\" title=\"View the conversation on Twitter\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MarkCutts\/status\/989875993601949696\" data-scribe=\"component:news\"><span class=\"TweetAction-stat\" data-scribe=\"element:conversation_text\">104 people are talking about this<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tweet-InformationCircle--top tweet-InformationCircle--topEdge tweet-InformationCircle\" data-scribe=\"element:notice\"><a class=\"Icon Icon--informationCircleWhite js-inViewportScribingTarget\" title=\"Twitter Ads info and privacy\" href=\"https:\/\/support.twitter.com\/articles\/20175256\"><span class=\"u-hiddenVisually\">Twitter Ads info and privacy<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"resize-sensor\">\n<div class=\"resize-sensor-expand\">\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"resize-sensor-shrink\">\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-report\"><a class=\"embed-report-link\" href=\"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/contact-us\/editorial\" aria-label=\"Report Twitter post by @MarkCutts\">Report<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"jump-linkhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/MarkCutts\/status\/989875993601949696\" class=\"off-screen\" tabindex=\"-1\">End of Twitter post by @MarkCutts<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a class=\"story-body__link-external\" href=\"http:\/\/www.ohchr.org\/EN\/HRBodies\/HRC\/Pages\/NewsDetail.aspx?NewsID=22794&amp;LangID=E\">In a report last month, the UNHR highlighted a \u201cspike in human rights violations and abuses\u201d<\/a>, including extrajudicial killings, torture and sexual violence.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"story-body__crosshead\">What has the international response been?<\/h2>\n<p>The country\u2019s de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been criticised for failing to end human rights violations and restricting access to aid in Myanmar.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"story-body__unordered-list\">\n<li class=\"story-body__list-item\"><a class=\"story-body__link\" href=\"http:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-asia-41566561\">What you need to know about the Rohingya crisis<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"story-body__list-item\"><a class=\"story-body__link\" href=\"http:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-asia-42335018\">Could Aung San Suu Kyi face Rohingya genocide charges?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The UN has called on the authorities to stop dismissing reports of abuses in Kachin.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile,\u00a0<a class=\"story-body__link-external\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/usembassy.rangoon\/photos\/a.127051360710025.32701.122393807842447\/1695297063885439\/?type=3&amp;theater\">the US embassy in Yangon said it was \u201cdeeply concerned\u201d about intensified fighting in the region in a statement on Friday.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe call upon the government, including the military, to protect civilian populations and allow humanitarian assistance to be delivered to those affected by the conflicts,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-asia-43933332?SThisFB\">BBC News<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Thousands of people have fled renewed fighting between the army and ethnic Kachin rebels in Myanmar\u2019s northernmost state. Some 4,000 people have been driven from their homes since early April, according to the UN. It comes as a longstanding conflict between the Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO) and government troops escalates. The military is said to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3847,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3872","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/equalitymyanmar.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3872","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/equalitymyanmar.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/equalitymyanmar.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/equalitymyanmar.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/equalitymyanmar.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3872"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/equalitymyanmar.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3872\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3873,"href":"https:\/\/equalitymyanmar.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3872\/revisions\/3873"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/equalitymyanmar.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3847"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/equalitymyanmar.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3872"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/equalitymyanmar.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3872"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/equalitymyanmar.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3872"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}