WASHINGTON—The US Campaign for Burma (USCB), in a statement, called on the Security Council to take action to pressure the Burmese regime to pursue an all-inclusive political dialogue, and the UN General Assembly to establish a commission of Inquiry to investigate war crimes and crimes against humanity in Burma.

“This is essential and urgent to prevent further crimes perpetrated by the military regime as an escalation of civil war is almost unavoidable,” said Aung Din, a former political prisoner and executive director of the USCB.

“I also call on the Security Council to take effective action to demand the regime stop its violence against the people and start negotiations with democracy forces led by Aung San Suu Kyi and ethnic representatives for a peaceful solution in Burma,” Aung Din said.

On election day, a Karen armed group, the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA), which was allied with the regime in the past, attacked the regime’s troops in Myawaddy and Three Pagodas Pass on the Thai border.

During the severe fighting, both sides used heavy artillery and forced tens of thousands of residents to flee to Thailand. Several bridges connecting the towns and other parts of Burma were destroyed by the DKBA soldiers, who attempted to block the regime’s troops marching toward the areas, the USCB said.

Other ethnic resistance groups, such as the Karen National Union (KNU), the New Mon State Party (NMSP) and the Karen Peace Council (KPC) also assisted the DKBA, it said.

“Other powerful ethnic resistance armies operating on the China-Burma border, the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), the United Wa State Army (UWSA), and the Shan State Army (South) (SSA-South) are also putting their troops on alert and preparing to respond if they are attacked by the regime’s troops,” it said.

They all have refused to participate in the elections and to put their troops under the direct command of the regime in the name of a border guard force. They recently formed a military alliance.

Meanwhile, an American senator in an editorial in Global Post said that the elections were the culmination of a deeply flawed process and should not be considered legitimate.

Sen. John Kerry, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said that the military’s “road map to democracy” will lead to a dead end if the government keeps its political opponents jailed and muzzled.

“In the months ahead, if the Burmese government breaks from the policies of the past, the United States should stand ready to improve relations and seek areas of cooperation that will directly benefit the Burmese people,” he said.

He said a short version of the regime's to-do list should include: releasing political prisoners, easing media and speech restrictions, seeking peace and reconciliation with Burma’s various ethnic groups, abiding by international norms on non-proliferation, pursuing economic reforms and allowing greater space for international and nongovernmental organizations to help meet the critical needs of Burma’s people, Kerry said.

Progress towards these benchmarks will not only improve the plight of the average Burmese, but will also improve their government’s international standing, said the US lawmaker.

Although the Obama administration policy of simultaneous engagement and economic sanctions has been disappointing, when it comes to the Burmese response, Kerry said it would be a mistake for Washington to abandon its “dual-track” approach.

“It still has the best chance of promoting change and it leaves America better positioned for the day we hope will come when new leaders with new ideas emerge on the scene. A one-sided, 'sanctions only' policy will only serve to diminish U.S. influence inside Burma and with its immediate neighbors,” he said.

source by : Irrawaddy