Mr. Speaker, despite committing to a ceasefire last week, the Burmese military continues to shell Kachin state using heavy artillery and mortars, causing thousands to flee for their lives.
Last Thursday, the state capital, Laiza, was hit by mortars, killing three and injuring four more. The mayor reports that this city of 15,000 is largely deserted as people have fled into the countryside or into refugee camps. One camp, in a school on the edge of town, is now home for 7,500 people.
Some relief groups estimate as many as 100,000 people have been displaced within Kachin state. Without access to crops, clean water and proper sanitation, disease will be next.
This is a disaster in the making.
I call on the Burmese military to live up to its commitments and immediately cease offensive military operations in Kachin state and hopefully, as peace talks begin, bargain with the Kachin people in good faith.