Kachin communities protest Myanmar bombardments

A group of ethnic Kachins protested outside the Myanmar embassy in Bangkok Friday against government bombardments in Myanmar's northern state of Kachin, a day after other Kachins attempted a demonstration in China.

"We want both sides to stop fighting and start peace negotiations to prevent more deaths and injuries of civilians," said La Nu Nan, spokesman for the Kachin Community in Thailand that gathered more than 50 protesters at the embassy.

The demonstrators submitted a letter addressed to Myanmar President Thein Sein, calling for an end to air and artillery attacks on the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) headquarters in the town of Laiza.

On December 28, the Myanmar military launched an air assault on Laiza on the Chinese border, 820 kilometres north-east of Yangon, prompting international protests including from UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

Across the border in China, an estimated 1,500 ethnic Kachin attempted to gather in La Bang village on Thursday in protest.

"Chinese authorities stopped the protesters from entering La Bang," the group’s spokesman Hkawn Ja said by phone.

He said the China-based Kachin were worried about the thousands of civilians in and around Laiza.

"There are about 15,000 displaced persons living outside Laiza and another 10,000 civilians in the town," Hkwan Ja said.//DPA