Over the past twelve years, 3,000 villages have been destroyed and forcibly relocated in Eastern Burma by the ruling military regime. Over half a million people have been internally displaced in Eastern Burma, many barely surviving the ravages of disease and military violence. An additional 1 million people have become refugees in countries on the other side of Burma´s borders.

This year, Burma’s brutal military regime have stepped up attacks on Burma’s ethnic Karen civilians, and has further intensified the campaign in recent months. Villagers have been forced to flee their homes, and most are now hiding in the jungle with no food, shelter or medical supplies. Several bodies have been found which have been severely mutilated and beheaded. Naw Eh Ywa Paw (pictured above), a nine year-old girl was shot, after seeing her father and grandmother killed.

Since the Burmese military regime moved their capital to Pyinmana in November 2005, the Burma Army has been extensively pushing innocent villagers into forced relocation camps, turning villages into 'free-fire' zones, kidnapping people for forced labour, burning and stealing food stocks, shooting and killing indiscriminately, raping, torturing, and laying landmines.

Those fleeing the new offensive have given eyewitness accounts of horrific human rights abuses being committed by the Burmese army, including the shooting of children and women, sexual violence, torture, mutilations such as cutting off people’s hands, feet, ears and noses, and even beheading villagers. A Karen villager said his heart was broken and he wanted to die when he saw only the hand of his son left in the ashes after his house was burnt down by Burma Army soldiers.

“This is nothing less than ethnic cleansing, and the international community has a responsibility to intervene”, said Yvette Mahon, Director of the Burma Campaign UK. “Governments know what is going on but are failing to act. If these people were dying it the same place and at the same time in front of TV cameras we would have seen action by now, but people are dying out of sight, and so out of mind as far as the government and United Nations are concerned.”

Shockingly, the international community has failed to respond effectively to the crisis. So far, the Department for International Development (DFID) has not provided any cross-border support which could provide aid to those who so desperately need help. In April 2006, the European Union renewed the EU Common Position on Burma without taking any steps to increase pressure on the regime.  Likewise, the United Nations Security Council has to date failed to take any effective action.