Burma Update

7 February, 2021
Karen State, Burma

Dear friends,

Thank you for all you do to help so many. We are behind you in love and prayer. Now we are on a relief mission in Burma (Myanmar). The recent coup has revealed to the world what the people here knew already – that the military is in charge, has been in charge, and will not share power. And attacks against the ethnic peoples have not stopped.

Here, where we are in Karen State, Burma, over 5,000 have been displaced in the past two months due to Burma Army attacks. This is in spite of a cease-fire. Now the Burma Army are sending reinforcements, all around us. I just walked back to our camp from one group of 1,100 displaced people hiding in the mountains. Our teams are giving them medical care and coordinating rice and tarp delivery on foot.

Also, attacks continue up north in Kachin State, where over 100,000 remain displaced and in northern Shan State where Shan and Ta’ang people are under regular attack. In Arakan State, western Burma, there is a lull in the fighting but over 70,000 are displaced there. Also, the over 750,000 Rohingya who were chased out of Arakan State earlier are still in Bangladesh.

Here in Karen State, the Karen people feel like the coup only reveals overtly what they and every ethnic already knew, that the army is totally in charge. The people here hope that this revelation will cause people who are ignorant of that fact or try to ignore it to not be able to ignore it anymore and realize the evil of the situation. Their own lives haven’t changed: they were attacked before the coup and they are being attacked now after the coup. Holding their babies in hiding places under the trees, they told me, “We don’t need you to give us food and medicine and shelter just stop the Burma Army from attacking our villages. We are not attacking them in their cities, why are they attacking us? if you stop them, we can take care of ourselves.”

Right now the best we can do is pray with the people in their hiding places in the jungle and deliver rice and medical care. Please pray as God leads you and we request that the US government and international community provide direct humanitarian relief to the ethnic groups or cross-border relief groups who have proven track records for providing relief efficiently, accountably, and transparently. Also, the ethnic groups need recognition and need to be part of a solution for a free, just, and reconciled Burma. The US and international community can help provide relief for those under attack and help the ethnics and Burmans who want change work together to achieve the goal of a free and democratic Burma.

Thank you for caring and God bless you,

David Eubank, family and the Free Burma Rangers

In the video below, FBR deputy director Monkey shares the situation of displaced people from Nyaunglebin District.