PRESS RELEASE

November 27, International Committee of the Red Cross
Myanmar: ICRC pressed to close field offices

Geneva/Yangon (ICRC): The government of Myanmar recently ordered the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to close its five field offices in the country (Mandalay, Mawlamyine, Hpa-an, Taunggyi and Kyaing Tong), effectively making it impossible for the organization to carry out most of its assistance and protection work benefiting civilians who live
in difficult conditions in border areas.

The Myanmar authorities also announced that ICRC visits to detainees would not be allowed to resume. Those visits were halted in December 2005 since the ICRC was no longer able to carry them out in accordance with its standard procedures.

The ICRC utterly deplores the decision by the Myanmar authorities to close its field offices as it places in jeopardy the accomplishments of the humanitarian work already carried out in behalf of the most vulnerable among the country's population, in particular people held in prison or living in sensitive border areas. "We had years of productive discussions with the Myanmar government, and our work since 1999 has had a tangible impact on people's living and security conditions," said Pierre Krähenbühl, the organization's director of operations. "The ICRC is seriously worried that those most in need today will bear the brunt of the current standoff."

Owing to the ICRC's increasing inability to do effective work in Myanmar and to the deterioration, and subsequent cessation, of dialogue with the government, the organization's activities have had to be scaled down in recent months to a few limited projects in the field of physical rehabilitation for amputees. In addition, assistance activities for civilians in sensitive border areas were first severely hampered, then prevented completely.

Over the past 12 months, the ICRC has tirelessly sought to restore a constructive dialogue during meetings with the government of Myanmar to address pressing issues of humanitarian concern. The latest of these took place on 17 November, at the ICRC's request, between its president, Jakob Kellenberger, and Myanmar's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Nyunt Maung Shein. Unfortunately, despite the ICRC's strenuous efforts, there has been no sign of the deadlock being broken, a fact which now forces the organization to review its operational framework in the country.

The ICRC has always worked in Myanmar in faithful accordance with the mandate assigned to it by the international community. It remains committed to helping all vulnerable people covered by that mandate – wherever they are – in full transparency and with the agreement of the government. The ICRC is convinced of the value of its work in Myanmar. It is determined to re-engage the government in dialogue so as to re-expand its scope of action and thus alleviate the drastic restrictions today imposed on its humanitarian action in the country.

For further information, please contact:

Pierre-André Conod, ICRC Yangon, tel. +951 662 613  or  +951 664 524
Thierry Ribaux, ICRC Yangon, tel. +951 662 613  or  +951 664 524
Carla Haddad, ICRC Geneva, tel. +41 22 730 24 05  or  +41 79 217 32 26
or visit our website: www.icrc.org