Chin people will stage a protest in Kalaymyo on May 14 for Kachin residents who have been trapped amid the fighting in the Kachin State and they are still awaiting the permission from the local authorities, according to the coordination committee’s chair Salai Bawi Lian Khum.
“Churches from Tar Han [Ward] in Kalaymyo [Town]and churches and social organizations from the village side will be invited to participate in the protest,” he said.
The aim of holding the protest is to free the Kachin people who have been trapped amid the fighting, obtain internal peace, and to make the Union Peace Conference (21st Century Panglong Conference) successful.
“The country is poor and many people have lived in poverty for 60-70 years due to the civil war between the government army and ethnic armed groups. We aim to hold the protest with over 500 people in order to achieve peace for the civil war. We want everyone to participate,” the chair added.
Under the name ‘Kalaymyo Chin Public Group’, the protest will start near Thitsar Oo building in Tar Han Ward at 8 am and they will march to Tadar Oo.
Fighting has been escalating between the Tatmadaw and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and tens of thousands of local residents have been forced to flee. Protests have been held in the Kachin State and some states and regions for the rescue of the trapped residents and charges have been filed against some protest leaders.
