STOP THE BURMESE ARMY GENOCIDAL MILITARY OFFENSIVE AGAINST THE KAREN PEOPLE IN BURMA.

The Philippine Peasant Support Network (Pesante)-USA vehemently condemn in the strongest terms the ongoing strategic offensive of the fascist and reactionary Burmese military dictatorship military offensive against the Karen people, in the Karen state along the Burma-Thailand. The Karen people are a national minority group in Burma who are fighting for their self-determination against the fascist Burmese military regime.

Pesante-USA deplored the use of land mines and booby traps that were laid by the Burmese military along the porous Thai-Burma border that will surely cause a lot of casualties among the Karen people who will be retreating and evacuating into southern Thailand. This inhuman and despicable act against civilians is a clear and blatant violation of known civilized rule of international warfare.

Burmese military is known for their wanton cruelty against the Burmese people and the national minorities especially against the Karen people who have been fighting the Burmese military regime for decades. They force Karens to act as porters, beat them up rape their women and sell their children into slavery.

For sure, we expect the reactionary Thai army again to bombard the border with artillery and act as the blocking force against the Karen people while professing to protect Karen civilians.

We also condemn the Chinese and Indian authorities for supplying arms and military aid as well as competing for Burmese resources and market and their tacit approval of such uncalled for barbarity.

We also in the strongest terms scored the US State Department inaction on the Burmese situation and their fence sitting on the grave human rights violations in Burma. This same inaction of the US authorities on Burma is the same posture it takes on the reign of terror that the US-Arroyo regime conducts in the Philippines. US big business is still doing sweet music with the Burmese authorities.

Pesante-USA based in Los Angeles from 1993- 2004 has always supported the Burmese people all throughout the years. Pesante-USA together with the Burma Forum in Los Angeles successfully lobbied the Los Angeles City Council in 1998 to boycott and stop the business dealings of American oil companies like Exxon and ARCO based in California in Burma. We ask the American people and other solidarity groups to condemn the Burmese army genocidal offensive against the Karen people.