2016年CRI Myanmar nationals on China-Myanmar border flee home to escape clashes

 

The cross-border movement came after four armed ethnic¹ groups launched joint² attacks against Myanmar military outposts and police stations in Muse³ and Kutkai in the northern state of Shan.

The armed offensive involved the Kachin Independence Army, the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, the Arakan Army, and the Ta-ang National Liberation Army.

At least eight people, including two civilians⁴, died and several others were wounded due to Sunday's clashes.

Several thousand Myanmar people living in the conflict area are fleeing to the neighboring Chinese province of Yunnan.

Zhu Minyun is leading the Dehong team of China's non-governmental rescue organization, Blue Sky Rescue, in helping⁵ resettle them.

"I'm now at a temporary resettlement area designated in Wanding, where there are already over 1100 people fleeing from Myanmar. Besides in Manghai, there are three resettlement points hosting more than 2000 people."

On Sunday, the government of Myanmar imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew in the border area in Shan State.

A statement issued by the State Counselor's Office said the armed ethnic groups retreated after the government's security forces launched counter-attacks.

But people living in border areas of Myanmar keep crossing to the Chinese side.

"The scale of the fight is relatively⁶ big this time and it came quite surprisingly in the first place. So the number of people crossing the border is somewhat higher than usual. Unlike previous fights which usually took place in the mountainous areas in Myanmar, the conflicts occurred mostly in urban areas this time, which also led to more people fleeing to the Chinese side."

The armed ethnic groups have issued a joint statement, saying the attack is to send a message to the local and international community that the ongoing⁷ fighting is due to the military advancing into the ethnic groups' territory.

Zhu Minyun says if the conflict on the Myanmar side continues, a longer-term plan will be made to deal with the situation.

"Up until now, good people are sending aid materials to us. Hopefully there won't be any problems with the resettlement work. We've also prepared food and other necessities that can last five to ten days. If the fighting outlasts⁸ ten days, a long-term resettlement plan will be made."

The Chinese authorities have issued a statement calling on the parties concerned in Myanmar to exercise restraint and halt military operations to avoid the escalation⁹ of tensions.

1 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

2 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

3 muse   

n.缪斯（希腊神话中的女神），创作灵感

参考例句：

• His muse had deserted him,and he could no longer write.他已无灵感，不能再写作了。
• Many of the papers muse on the fate of the President.很多报纸都在揣测总统的命运。

4 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

5 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

6 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

7 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

8 outlasts   

v.比…长久，比…活得长( outlast的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

9 escalation   

n.扩大，增加

参考例句：

• The threat of nuclear escalation remains. 核升级的威胁仍旧存在。 来自辞典例句
• Escalation is thus an aspect of deterrence and of crisis management. 因此逐步升级是威慑和危机处理的一个方面。 来自辞典例句