Myanmar’s Weaponization of COVID-19 Karenni EAOs Six Karenni EAOs – including the Karenni in the areas under KNPP and KNLP control in National Progressive Party (KNPP) and the Karenni State to check travelers’ temperatures Kayan New Land Party (KNLP) – have set up the and increase awareness of the virus. They are Community Health and Development Network also monitoring patients who show symptoms (CHDN) to halt the transmission of COVID- of the disease, and say they are ready to transfer 19.70 They are manning 29 medical checkpoints them to hospitals if their conditions worsen. Shan State Progress Party (SSPP) and Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) The SSPP and TNLA spoke to local media sponse effort. They pointed to their status as about how they have taken the matter upon NCA non-signatories as the likely reason for themselves to prevent the spread of the coro- their exclusion from these health activities, navirus in their territories; they said that they suggesting the Myanmar military’s agenda of had not been consulted about collaboration by isolating EAOs is embedded in the country’s the Myanmar government in any national re- pandemic response.71 Myanmar’s IDP Camps: Overcrowded and Underserved The estimated 350,000 IDPs throughout Myanmar’s ethnic states have been living in makeshift camps, temples and churches, often for years. The conditions have been described by HRW as “tinderboxes” for the spread of COVID-19.72 It was not until 14 April – three weeks after the pandemic was confirmed to have reached Myanmar – that state-run media reported that the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement had started prevention activities in IDP camps. However, some camp residents in Kachin State told journalists that this outreach had amounted to the distribution of one bar of soap per household.73 IDPs in camps in Kachin State’s Waingmaw and Myitkyina Townships said in early April that an ongoing drought had made them unable to follow WHO guidelines like handwashing in order to keep the coronavirus at bay. Leaders of the camps told local media that residents were unable to afford to buy face masks or hand sanitizer and asked that the 70 Soe Hteik Aung. “Armed Organizations Join Fight Against COVID-19.” Kantarawaddy Times. 20 April 2020. Available at: http://ktnews.org/?p=1718 71 Network Media Group. “EAOs: Burmese Govt ‘Doesn’t Accept’ Our Cooperation in Fighting COVID-19.” BNI Multimedia Group. 6 April 2020. Available at: https://www.bnionline.net/en/news/eaos-burmese-govt-doesnt-acceptour-cooperation-fighting-covid-19 72 Human Rights Watch. “Myanmar: Displacement Camps Are COVID-19 Tinderboxes.” 30 March 2020. Available at: https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/03/30/myanmar-displacement-camps-are-covid-19-tinderboxes 73 Emily Fishbein. “Displace families in Myanmar’s Kachin fear coronavirus threat.” Al Jazeera. 19 April 2020. Available at: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/displaced-families-myanmar-kachin-fear-coronavirus-threat-200419013157517.html 21