U.S. urges Myanmar gov't to build trust with ethnic armed group
Yangon, Dec. 20 (Xinhua-ANI)
The U.S. government urged Myanmar government and ethnic Kachin Independence Army (KIA) in ongoing conflict in Myanmar's northernmost Kachin state to take immediate steps to establish a dialogue process that will build trust, according to a press release issued from the U.S. embassy here Thursday.
U.S. Ambassador Derek Mitchell and Special Representative and Policy Coordinator (Acting) W. Patrick Murphy visited Myitkyina and Waingmaw in Kachin State for two days starting from Monday to speak with the government and security officials, internally- displaced persons (IDPs), and civil, political and religious leaders about the ongoing conflict in Kachin State, the release said.
Mitchell and Murphy focused on the challenges stemming from ongoing conflict and the prospects for halting violence and advancing national reconciliation.
To date, the United States has provided approximately 5 million U.S. dollars in assistance to IDPs in Kachin State, including funding for food, water and sanitation, shelter, psycho-social trauma counseling and protection and empowerment training.