Chin State

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Description: The Chin are of Sino-Tibetan origin and inhabit a mountain chain which roughly covers western Burma through to Mizoram in north-east India (where they are related to the Mizos, Kuki and others) and small parts of Bangladesh. They are not a single group, but are in fact composed of a number of ethnic groups such as the Asho, Cho, Khumi, Kuki, Laimi, Lushai and Zomi, each with their language belonging to the Tibeto-Burman language branch. A mountain people by tradition, though this has been changing, perhaps 80 per cent of the Chin are Christians, while most of the remaining population are mainly Buddhists or animists, and according to some, a very small Jewish sect..."
Source/publisher: Minority Rights Group
Date of entry/update: 2014-08-21
Grouping: Websites/Multiple Documents
Category: Chin State
Language: English
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Description: "On the morning of March 30th, 2023 at around 10:00hrs, the genocidal military junta bombed the peaceful Khuafo village in Thantlang Township of Chin State with their Russian made YAK-130 jet fighters. The small village of Khuafo, which has only around 50 households, suffered immensely with 8 innocent villagers, including 2 children being killed in the bombing. Additionally, another 11 innocent villagers were critically injured, and 13 homes along with 2 churches were destroyed. Similar atrocities have been perpetrated by these genocidal military generals in their reign of terror against the Chin people, leading to over 60 air strikes and more than 140 bombs dropped on civilians in the last 3 months alone. We therefore condemn in the strongest terms possible these war crimes and crimes against humanity committed not only against the Chin people, but also against all the people of Myanmar by the cruel terroristic and brutal genocidal junta forces. Our deepest condolences, thoughts and prayers are with the victim’s families, love ones and friends during this horrible time in our history. Together we will continue to do everything we can to deliver justice to our people who have suffered so much for so long under these evil genocidal military generals and their partners in crimes against humanity. To put things further in perspective, in the past 24 months since the bloody attempted coup, the genocidal military generals in Myanmar have been targeting the Chin hills in order to systematically eradicate our Chin people. During this time, the brutal genocidal Military junta forces have killed more than 400 innocent Chin people of which 72 were women and 25 were children, and unjustly arrested more than 1430 Chin people. These brutal genocidal military junta forces have destroyed over 52 Chin churches and more than 2,000 Chin houses, and forcing nearly 100,000 Chin people into homelessness and desperation. Moreover, the brutal military junta has declared 8 townships out of 9 in Chin state to be under martial law, rendering Chin State without rule of law. The brutal genocidal military junta is using this means as license to systematically wipe out the Chin people. However, they will never succeed in this, and will indeed fail. The victory ultimately belongs to justice and that victory justice belongs to the peace loving people of Myanmar and Chinland. We call on the international community to stand in solidarity with the people of Myanmar in this darkest moment in our history and hold the genocidal military generals in Myanmar strictly accountable for their acts of terrorism and crimes against humanity against the people of Myanmar. We call on the international community to take decisive and immediate actions against the brutal genocidal military in Myanmar by imposing targeted, coordinated and tougher sanctions against them and all their partners in crimes against humanity, and supply much needed relief aide and humanitarian assistance to the people of Myanmar, working closely with the National Unity Government (NUG) of Myanmar. The people of Myanmar deserve peace, justice and the right to freedom, human rights and self-determination..."
Source/publisher: Ministry of International Cooperation Myanmar
2023-03-31
Date of entry/update: 2023-04-01
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Format : pdf
Size: 35.47 KB
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Sub-title: Sequel Report: Civilians, including children, were allegedly hit with artillery in different incidents
Description: "Since the military attacked M’dat (မဒပ်) village with artillery shells in May 2022, leading to a 10-year-old boy and his mother being seriously injured (Child Injured in M’dat Village, Mindat Township), it has been alleged that villages in Mindat Township (မင်းတပ်မိနယ်) have suffered from further artillery shelling, the destruction of houses and the killing of civilians. In one such case, the older brother of the child originally reported on by Myanmar Witness was allegedly killed by artillery fire a little over a month after the original incident. In this report, Myanmar Witness has investigated reports of civilian damage and deaths in Mindat Township (မင်းတပ်မိနယ်) as a result of artillery fire from the Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) 274 military base. This included: reports of homes destroyed and villagers killed in Mui Tui (မွီတွီ) village on 16 June; the reported death of the older brother of the child whose injuries were investigated in a previous report on M’dat village, on 29 June 2022; and, the destruction of homes in Kyam Ain Nu (ကာအိမ်း) village, also on 29 June 2022. These villages are all located within a 7 or 8km firing range from the LIB 274 military base, located in Mindat Town (မင်းတပ်). Myanmar Witness was able to previously verify the location of the LIB 274 base in Mindat Town (မင်းတပ်), Mindat Township (မင်းတပ်မိနယ်), Chin State (ချင်းြပည်နယ်). On 16 June 2022, there were reports of villagers killed by artillery fire in Mui Tui (မွီတွီ) village, in Mindat Township (မင်းတပ်မိနယ်). No user-generated content (UGC) could be verified of the dead individuals in Mui Tui (မွီတွီ), but their images match those described to have died and Myanmar Witness geolocated other images of destruction to the village. On the morning of 29 June 2022, the Chindwin News Agency, reported that the 274th Light Infantry Battalion in Mindat fired medium artillery mortar rounds at civilian areas in Mindat Township (မင်းတပ်မိနယ်), Chin State (ချင်းြပည်နယ်) killing a 13 year old boy in M’dat village (မဒပ်). The boy was reportedly the elder brother of a 10-year-old boy who was seriously injured, also by artillery fire, along with his mother on 23 May 2022. This event has been described in more detail in Myanmar Witness’ report Child Injured in M’dat Village, Mindat Township. Myanmar Witness was not able to thoroughly verify images of the dead child, but analysed images of a deceased child alleged to be the child in question, with wounds consistent with those described in eye-witness reports provided to Myanmar Witness by a partner. There was no verifiable footage of the attack itself, meaning it was not possible for Myanmar Witness to independently verify how the child was killed. However, Myanmar Witness has geolocated images alleged to be of the child’s home in M’dat (မဒပ်) village. The hole in the wooden wall and the inside structure of the house, as well as some damaged foliage close to the home all indicate a strike of some sort that had caused this destruction. This was the same house geolocated by Myanmar Witness in the incident involving the child’s brother (see: Child Injured in M’dat Village, Mindat Township). Images of ammunition reportedly found in M’dat (မဒပ်) village after the attack are consistent with locally produced 120mm mortar rounds known to be used by the Myanmar military. Myanmar Witness verified the presence of a military base within firing range of the village and identified a mortar present at the base in our last report, although it was not possible to verify whether it was a model capable of firing the particular rounds alleged. Attribution is difficult without verified UGC to confirm the munitions were found in M’dat (မဒပ်), their origin, or images of the deceased child. While Myanmar Witness was able to identify a likely location for images of a destroyed home in Kyam Ain Nu consistent with media reporting, it was not possible to confirm this with 100% certainty or independently verify that the home was destroyed on 29 June 2022. These collective incidents in Mindat Township (မင်းတပ်မိနယ်) are some of many monitored and analysed by Myanmar Witness documenting alleged indiscriminate attacks in civilian areas in Myanmar since the coup which has - in this case - allegedly led to the deaths of civilians. To read the full report download the PDF. [Warning: Graphic] has been inserted ahead of links to sources that show graphic and distressing images of injured or dead persons..."
Source/publisher: Myanmar Witness
2022-10-04
Date of entry/update: 2022-10-04
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Format : pdf
Size: 8.88 MB (Original version) - 27 pages
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Description: "Residents in Matupi and Mindat townships in southern Chin State are running out of food as Myanmar’s regime has blocked supplies. The regime has blocked the Paletwa-Matupi, Matupi-Mindat, and Mindat-Kyaukhtu roads which supply the townships. A Matupi volunteer said communities have almost run out of rice. “The prices of oil and salt have increased. Three eggs cost 1,000 kyats [compared to around 150 kyats per egg in Yangon] and they are scarce. Most people can’t afford them,” she said. The roads are blocked by the regime although there is no fighting with the Chinland Defense Force (CDF). A 61-liter rice sack was around 4,000 kyats before the coup in Matupi and they are now 66,000-70,000 kyats, when they are available, according to residents. Residents are buying broken rice for around 45,000 kyats per sack. The regime is beginning to allow some residents to leave the town in private vehicles, said a Matupi resident. “Patients who need hospital treatment can leave. Neighbors ask them to bring back food. They bring back eggs and dried fish but no rice and oil,” she said. Mindat has been isolated and surrounding villages are often shelled, despite the lack of fighting, residents said. “We have left our villages and farms. We are struggling to survive and concerned for our safety and food,” a villager told The Irrawaddy. The Mindat CDF said junta helicopters and Light Infantry Battalion 274 based in Mindat are bombing villages. More than 60 Mindat residents are reportedly in Pakokku Prison and around 30 are being held at Battalion 274 in Mindat. It called for international charities to help displaced Mindat civilians. Mindat residents said junta soldiers detained a man and woman in Kyawttaw village on July 6. Some villagers were reportedly injured when two helicopters dropped bombs on two villages on July 2. A school, church and some houses were damaged. The regime shells villagers because it only controls Mindat town and adjacent villages, said the CDF..."
Source/publisher: "The Irrawaddy" (Thailand)
2022-07-13
Date of entry/update: 2022-07-13
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Sub-title: The military fires on local defence forces by helicopter, hours after the resistance groups had cornered a Myanmar army column travelling through Tedim
Description: "The military carried out airstrikes during battles with the resistance near a Tedim Township village in northern Chin State on Saturday, defence forces in the area said. A Chin alliance attacked a junta convoy of more than 150 soldiers near Hiangzing village, some 20 miles west of Kalay, at around 8am, with multiple military casualties suspected. The defence forces involved included the Chin National Front, Chin Nationalities Defence Force, Zoland People’s Defence Force (PDF), Civic Defence Militia, People Defence Army and the Zogarm Army. Representatives of the groups said their geographical knowledge of the area proved to be an advantage, and estimated that at least 10 junta troops were killed by explosives set up by the resistance. “We started attacking them after they stopped their cars as soon as the explosives detonated,” a member of the Civic Defence Militia told Myanmar Now. Myanmar army soldiers stationed on the Kalay University campus in neighbouring Sagaing Region started firing heavy artillery towards the battle site in Chin State at around noon, four hours after fighting began, the spokesperson for the Zoland People’s Defence Force (PDF) said. By 2pm, two helicopters had arrived at the scene and opened fire on the resistance forces, he added. “We managed to successfully defend against the junta convoy in the morning,” the spokesperson said. “They probably started sending military jets in the afternoon because they had faced a lot of losses.” Seven members of the resistance were reportedly injured in the clash, with two in critical condition after being struck by artillery and the helicopter gunfire. Representatives of the defence forces speculated that fighting could escalate in the area as more junta troops were expected to travel south in Chin State, and pass nearby Saturday’s battle site. The military convoy involved in the clash had left Kalay on January 12, shielding themselves by travelling with civilian vehicles, and reached Hiangzing after being ambushed by defence forces near another village on the route, Theizan. The military has been escalating attacks on Chin State as part of an offensive known as “Operation Anawrahta” since October of last year, sending massive reinforcements to the area and launching air attacks on the resistance. The military council has not mentioned the recent battles in Chin State during their press conferences, nor have their spokesperson answered Myanmar Now’s repeated calls for comment..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Myanmar Now" (Myanmar)
2022-01-18
Date of entry/update: 2022-01-18
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Sub-title: Fighting in recent weeks has displaced some 45,000 civilians in Chin and Kachin states.
Description: "At least 10 military junta troops were killed and around 20 critically wounded in five clashes over the last two days in Myanmar’s Chin state, militia groups said Thursday, while tens of thousands of civilians have fled and are living in dire conditions as fighting has intensified in the region. Four of the engagements took place in Chin’s Hakha township, killing and injuring regime soldiers, a Hakha-based Chin-land Defense Force (CDF) spokesman told RFA’s Myanmar Service. The first occurred when CDF forces entered Lot Klone village on May 18 and were fired on by the junta troops, while the second took place the following morning, when a CDF unit ambushed soldiers on Matupi Road, killing seven, he said. “This morning [Thursday] we heard from sources close to the area that more than 10 troops were killed and more than 20 injured,” the spokesman said. Additionally, the CDF reported, a clash took place at a security checkpoint near Hakha University on May 18 and another near the intersection of Hakha Thar 6 and Hakha-Gangaw Roads the same day. On the evening of May 19, the military set fire to more than 30 motorbikes owned by Hakha CDF members, the group said, although no casualties were suffered. In Chin’s nearby Mindat township, the Mindat People’s Administration (MPA) militia said it engaged with regime troops on May 19 between mile markers 40 and 50 on Mindat-Matupi Road, killing three junta soldiers, including a sergeant. As of Thursday, the military had yet to confirm details of any of the clashes in Chin state, where soldiers are battling volunteer militias wielding mostly home-made weapons more than three months after it overthrew the country’s elected government in a Feb. 1 coup and reinstated junta rule. Za Op Ling, deputy executive director of the Chin Human Rights Organization (CHRO), told RFA that more than 35,000 civilians from Chin state have fled their homes since the attack on Lot Klone village—15,000 of whom have crossed Myanmar’s border into India’s Mizoram state. “Whenever there is a clash, the soldiers later search every house and make arrests,” he said. “Their main target is young people, so all the youths have fled to nearby villages. Some escaped to the Indian border. All this happened mostly in Mindat and at least 8,000 people have fled from the township alone.” Za Op Ling said that local authorities in Mizoram state have asked India’s central government to provide assistance to the refugees from Myanmar. A resident of Mindat confirmed that the township is nearly deserted after the military “opened fire with heavy artillery,” killing several residents. “In this kind of situation, it isn’t possible for people to live in the town. It’s not safe to stay at home at all,” she said. “People just fled to nearby forests or villages. The young people from our village have helped some of the refugees. Now there are only some elderly people left in the town, most of whom are trapped.” Around 3,000 people taking shelter in four villages in Mindat township are currently facing food shortages due to logistical difficulties and with water and power cut off, according to a local aid worker. A member of the Mindat CDF, which is helping the refugees, said the group plans to ask the United Nations refugee agency for help in distributing food and other necessities. A spokesman for the U.N. Secretary-General said in a statement on Tuesday that that the UN Office for Human Rights is investigating reports of arbitrary detentions, including the killing of six people in Mindat over the weekend. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said at least 797 civilians, including dozens of children, have been killed by security forces since the latest military coup, while more than a thousand civilians have been injured. The fighting in Mindat over the weekend prompted Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) on Thursday to condemn the military’s blocking of humanitarian and medical aid and access to clean water. “The reports out of Mindat … expose the horrifying reality of ongoing violence against tens of thousands of civilians in Mindat by the Myanmar military,” the group said. “These actions further echo the unconscionable actions and severe breaches of international human rights law perpetrated by the Tatmadaw since the group seized power in a February 1 coup d’etat,” it said, using the Burmese name for the military. “Physicians for Human Rights is appalled by the Myanmar military’s unlawful implementation of martial law in Mindat, who has pushed civilians into Mindat’s surrounding jungles to escape detention, and the reported obstruction in access to clean drinking water.” The group noted that the fighting has left women and children in Mindat vulnerable to tactics of war it said the military regularly employs, including sexual and gender-based violence.....Kachin state refugees: In Kachin state, where junta troops have also been fighting the veteran ethnic Kachin Independence Army (KIA) since clashes broke out between the two sides on April 10, residents told RFA that the military has launched more than 30 airstrikes in the area over the past 40 days. The two sides have engaged in some 90 engagements in Kachin state’s Momauk township alone, prompting more than 10,000 people to flee from 20 villages. More than 3,000 have arrived in camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs), while the remainder are in hiding in forests near their homes, hoping to remain able to harvest their crops. A woman refugee from Momauk’s Sihak village told RFA her family had lost nearly everything in the fighting. “The three or four houses in front of ours were razed to the ground during the clashes,” she said. “The owners have nowhere to live and have fled.” A resident of Momauk’s Kone Law village said that clashes intensified just as farmers were preparing to harvest peanuts, and many crops were damaged. “We should have been harvesting then, but now, the harvest time has passed, and the ground has become very hard,” he said. “It’s very difficult to pull out the plants. We had to hire more people, but we still can’t get it done because the soil has hardened. There are a lot of people who dare not go to the fields because the soldiers are too close.” Civil society groups are attempting to provide food, shelter and medicine to Momauk, but refugees told RFA that the military is blocking them from doing so and confiscating the goods. Residents also complained that soldiers regularly plant landmines in area fields that kill essential cattle, but then demand compensation from farmers for “destroying their weapons.” A civil society worker who is assisting refugees in Momauk told RFA there are still not enough camps for those who have fled the fighting. “Even monasteries that used to take in refugees are full, so many people lack shelter because there is no place for them to live,” he said. “We are now trying to find ways to set up a new camp in a convenient location with the help of U.N. agencies, but it is difficult because of the rising number of refugees.” While the most intense fighting between the military and KIA has taken place in Momauk, clashes have also occurred in several other townships in Kachin state, including Laiza, Hpakant, Mohnyin, Mogaung, Tanaing, Bhamo, Putao, Mansi and Myitkyina.....Inter-ethnic conflicts: In addition to clashes with the military regime, Myanmar’s myriad ethnic armies have continued to fight amongst themselves in the pursuit of new territory, further exacerbating the country’s refugee crisis. Clashes between the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS) and the combined forces of the Shan State Progress Party/Shan State Army-North (SSPP/SSA-N) and Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) broke out near Manli village in northern Shan state’s Namtu township in April. More than 2,000 residents of Namtu’s Panlong, Chaungsa and Manli villages, have since fled to the nearby town centers of Hsipaw and Namtu. Additionally, clashes between the SSPP/SSA-N and RCSS on May 19 prompted another 1,000 villagers to flee Hsipaw’s Wan Sein village, bring the total number of IDPs in the area to around 3,000. The SSPP/SSA-N and TNLA have called on the RCSS to withdraw their troops back to their home base in southern Shan state to ease fighting in the northern part of the region. Fighting between the RCSS and the TNLA intensified between 2015 and the end of 2017 in northern Shan state and in April 2018, the TNLA began joint operations with the SSPP/SSA-N in Namtu township. According to the SSPP/SSA-N, talks between the two Shan ethnic armies have yielded little progress..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "RFA" (USA)
2021-05-20
Date of entry/update: 2021-05-23
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "The United Nations in Myanmar is alarmed by the humanitarian impact of ongoing violence in the town of Mindat in Chin State in western Myanmar, following reports of indiscriminate attacks by the security forces against civilians and resulting population displacement and civilian casualties. Local sources indicated that close to 4,000 people have been internally displaced since the hostilities escalated in the town of Mindat on 12 May, with an unconfirmed number, believed to be in thousands, hiding in nearby forests and mountains in search of safety and protection. A higher number of civilians remain in Mindat as they were reportedly not allowed to leave during the height of the hostilities. There are reports of houses and other civilian property damaged, destroyed or occupied by security forces. An unconfirmed number of men, women, and children have lost their lives or sustained injuries because of the violence. The United Nations is also concerned by reports about the security forces using civilians as human shields and incidents of sexual assault perpetrated against women and girls. People who have already fled and others who remain are in urgent need of food, water, shelter, access to healthcare and gender-based violence and psychological support. The United Nations and humanitarian partners are making efforts to assess and address these needs; however, humanitarian access challenges, including due to insecurity and road blockages, are complicating these efforts. The United Nations calls on security forces to urgently take all necessary measures and precautions to spare civilians and civilian infrastructure, and to adhere to the fundamental principles of distinction, necessity, proportionality and protection. We also call upon security forces to allow civilians who choose to leave areas of danger to do so without obstruction or delay, securing their safety, and to ensure that those who are injured are transferred to a medical facility situated in a safe area. We urge everyone involved to facilitate the delivery of relief by the United Nations and all humanitarian partners to people fleeing the violence, those trapped in their homes and everyone affected, by ensuring safe and unhindered humanitarian access. The United Nations reiterates its strong commitment to continue making all efforts to provide humanitarian assistance and protection services to people in need wherever they may be, guided by the internationally recognized principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence.....မြန်မာနိုင်ငံ အနောက်ဘက်ရှိ ချင်းပြည်နယ် မင်းတပ်မြို့တွင် လုံခြုံရေး တပ်ဖွဲ့များက အရပ်သားများအပေါ် ခွဲခြားမှုမရှိဘဲ တိုက်ခိုက်မှုကြောင့် နေရပ်စွန့်ခွာထွက်ပြေးခြင်းများနှင့် အရပ်သားများထိခိုက်သေဆုံးမှုများ ရှိကြောင်းသိရှိရပါသည်။ ယင်းကဲ့သို့ ဆက်တိုက်ဖြစ်ပေါ်လျက်ရှိသော အကြမ်းဖက်မှုများ၏ အကျိုးဆက်များ အပေါ် မြန်မာနိုင်ငံဆိုင်ရာ ကုလသမဂ္ဂက စိုးရိမ်လျက်ရှိပါသည်။ မေလ ၁၂ ရက်နေ့မှစ၍ မင်းတပ်မြို့တွင် ပစ်ခတ်မှုများအရှိန်မြင့်တက်လာရာမှ လူပေါင်း ၄,၀၀၀ ခန့် နေရပ်စွန့်ခွာခဲ့ရသည်ဟု ဒေသခံများက သတင်းပေးပို့ခဲ့ပါသည်။ နေရပ်စွန့်ခွာသူ အရေအတွက်ကို အတည်မပြုနိုင်သေးသော်လည်း ထောင်နှင့်ချီမည်ဟု ခန့်မှန်းထားပါသည်။ ၎င်းတို့သည် အနီးအနားရှိ တောတောင်များထဲတွင် ဘေးရန်ကင်းပြီး အကာအကွယ်ရယူနိုင်ရန် ပုန်းခိုနေရလျက်ရှိပါသည်။ မင်းတပ်မြို့တွင်မူ အရပ်သားအများအပြားကျန်ရှိနေပြီး ပစ်ခတ်မှုများ ဖြစ်ပေါ်စဉ်အတွင်း ထွက်ပြေးခွင့်မရှိခဲ့ကြကြောင်း သိရှိရပါသည်။ လုံခြုံရေးတပ်ဖွဲ့များကြောင့် အရပ်သားများ၏ အိုးအိမ်စည်းစိမ်များ ပျက်စီးခြင်း၊ အဖျက်အဆီးခံရခြင်းနှင့် သိမ်းယူခံရခြင်းများရှိကြောင်း သတင်းပေးပို့ချက်များလည်း ရှိပါသည်။ အကြမ်းဖက်မှုများကြောင့် အပြင်းအထန် ဒဏ်ရာရ၊ အသက်ဆုံးရှုံးသွားသည့် အမျိုးသား၊ အမျိုးသမီးနှင့် ကလေးသူငယ်များရှိပြီး အရေအတွက်ကိုမူ အတည်မပြုနိုင်သေးပါ။ အရပ်သားများကို ပစ်ခတ်မှုများတွင် လူသားဒိုင်းသဖွယ် အကာအကွယ်ယူခြင်းနှင့် အမျိုးသမီးများနှင့် မိန်းကလေးများအပေါ် လိင်ပိုင်းဆိုင်ရာ ကျူးလွန်ခြင်းများရှိနေသည်ဆိုသည့် သတင်းများအပေါ်လည်း ကုလသမဂ္ဂက စိုးရိမ်လျက်ရှိပါသည်။ ထွက်ပြေးသွားရသူများနှင့် ကျန်ခဲ့သူများပါ စားနပ်ရိက္ခာ၊ ရေ၊ ခိုလှုံရာနေရာနှင့် ကျန်းမာရေး စောင့်ရှောက်မှုများ အရေးတကြီး လိုအပ်လျက်ရှိပြီး လိင်အခြေပြု အကြမ်းဖက်မှုဆိုင်ရာနှင့် လူမှုစိတ္တပိုင်းဆိုင်ရာ အကူအညီများလည်း လိုအပ်နေပါသည်။ ကုလသမဂ္ဂနှင့် လူသားချင်းစာနာမှုဆိုင်ရာ မိတ်ဖက်အဖွဲ့အစည်းများသည် လိုအပ်ချက်များ လေ့လာဆန်းစစ်ပြီး ဖြည့်ဆည်းပေးနိုင်ရန် ကြိုးပမ်းအားထုတ်လျက်ရှိပါသည်။ သို့ရာတွင် လုံခြုံရေးအခြေအနေနှင့် လမ်းပိတ်ဆို့မှုများအပါအဝင် လူသားချင်းစာနာမှုဆိုင်ရာ အကူအညီပေးနိုင်ရေး သွားလာခွင့် အခက်အခဲများကြောင့် နှောင့်နှေးကြန့်ကြာမှုများဖြစ်နေပါသည်။ လုံခြုံရေးတပ်ဖွဲ့များအနေဖြင့် အရပ်သားများနှင့် အများပြည်သူပိုင်အဆောက်အဦများကို မထိခိုက်စေရန် လိုအပ်သလို ထိန်းထိန်းသိမ်းသိမ်း ဆောင်ရွက်ရန်နှင့် တိုက်ခိုက်သူနှင့်အရပ်သားများအကြား ပစ်မှတ်ခွဲခြားခြင်း၊ လိုအပ်မှသာလျှင် ပစ်ခတ်ခြင်း၊ အင်အားအလွန်အကျွံအသုံးမပြုခြင်းနှင့် အရပ်သားများကို ကာကွယ်စောင့်ရှောက်ခြင်း အစရှိသည့် အခြေခံ မူဝါဒများကို လိုက်နာရန် ကုလသမဂ္ဂက တောင်းဆိုလိုက်ပါသည်။ ထို့အပြင် အန္တရာယ်ရှိသည့် နေရာများမှ ထွက်ခွာချင်သည့် အရပ်သားများကို တားဆီးခြင်း သို့မဟုတ် ကြန့်ကြာစေခြင်းများမဖြစ်စေဘဲ ခွင့်ပြုပေးရန်၊ ၎င်းတို့၏ ဘေးကင်းမှုအတွက် လုံခြုံရေးယူပေးရန်၊ ဒဏ်ရာရရှိသူများကို ဘေးကင်းလုံခြုံသည့် ကျန်းမာရေး စောင့်ရှောက်ရာ နေရာများဆီသို့ လွှဲပြောင်း ပို့ဆောင်ပေးရန် ထပ်မံတောင်းဆိုလိုက်ပါသည်။ အကြမ်းဖက်မှုများမှ ထွက်ပြေးရသူများ၊ မိမိတို့၏ နေအိမ်များထဲတွင် ပိတ်မိနေသူများနှင့် ထိခိုက်သူအားလုံးကို ကုလသမဂ္ဂနှင့် လူသားချင်းစာနာမှုဆိုင်ရာလုပ်ငန်းများ လုပ်ကိုင်သည့် လုပ်ဖော်ကိုင်ဖက်များက ကယ်ဆယ်ရေး လုပ်ငန်းများ လုပ်ဆောင်ပေးရာတွင် ပါဝင်ပတ်သက်သူအားလုံးအနေဖြင့် အကူအညီပေးရန်နှင့် ဘေးကင်းပြီး နှောင့်နှေးကြန့်ကြာမှုမရှိသည့် လူသားချင်းစာနာမှုဆိုင်ရာ အကူအညီပေးနိုင်ရေး သွားလာခွင့်များ ပေးပါရန် မိမိတို့က တိုက်တွန်းလိုက်ပါသည်။ ကုလသမဂ္ဂသည် လူသားချင်းစာနာခြင်း၊ ခွဲခြားမှုမရှိခြင်း၊ ကြားနေခြင်း နှင့် လွတ်လပ်ခြင်း အစရှိသည့် နိုင်ငံတကာ အသိအမှတ်ပြု မူဝါဒများနှင့်အညီ မည့်သည့်နေရာတွင်မဆို အကူအညီလိုအပ်နေသူများကို ကာကွယ်စောင့်ရှောက်ပေးသည့်ဝန်ဆောင်မှုများနှင့် လူသားချင်းစာနာမှုဆိုင်ရာ အကူအညီပေးရေး ကြိုးပမ်းအားထုတ်မှုများကို ဆက်လက်လုပ်ဆောင်သွားမည်ဖြစ်ကြောင်း ခိုင်မာသော သန္နိဌာန်အား ထပ်လောင်း အတည်ပြုလိုက်ပါသည်။..."
Source/publisher: United Nations (Myanmar)
2021-05-21
Date of entry/update: 2021-05-23
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Description: "Children and the elderly make up a large proportion of the people taking refuge in camps in northwest Myanmar to escape fighting between the army and insurgents, residents said on Thursday, as France called for an urgent delivery of humanitarian aid. In the past week, Chin State bordering India has seen some of the most serious fighting since Myanmar's military seized power in a coup on Feb. 1 and removed the elected government led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. India said this week that more than 15,000 people had crossed the border to seek refuge, but residents in Chin State said many of the most vulnerable were sheltering in camps around the town of Mindat after it was overrun by the army. "Children and the elderly make up a big proportion of the groups. Some didn't have sandals. They trekked through the forest barefoot for days," said a 34-year-old resident helping look after the displaced but asked not to be identified. He said that villages around Mindat were caring for about 2,000 displaced people in camps and churches, while access to the town once home to more than 40,000 people had been blocked. "We will face food shortage after a week," said the resident, adding that petrol supplies were about to run out. At least 10 people have been killed in Chin State in the past week, according to figures from the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners activist group. It puts the countrywide death toll since the coup at 807, a figure disputed by the army. Pleading for international aid, another Mindat resident said the camp he was at had 13 bags of rice and would see shortages soon, with the 140 people there now expected to swell to 300. Those fleeing say thousands of people left Mindat after the army attacked to root out fighters of the newly formed Chinland Defence Force, who are aligned with a National Unity Government (NUG) formed by the junta's opponents.....'IMMEDIATE NECESSITY': The French Embassy in Myanmar blamed a "disproportionate use of force and war weapons against civilians by the military" for causing a loss of human life and the displacement of thousands in Chin State. "The restoration of access to water and electricity as well as the delivery of humanitarian aid for population in need are an immediate necessity," the embassy said in a statement on its Facebook page. Fighting in the area is continuing, and a citizens' administrative group said in a post on social media that Chin militia had killed three soldiers on a road out of Mindat on Wednesday. The United Nations said nearly 10,000 people had been displaced in Kachin State in the north by renewed fighting since mid-March. Thousands have also been displaced by clashes in the east and northeast. A spokesman for the military council did not answer calls for comment. The junta has struggled to impose its authority in the face of daily protests, paralysing strikes and an upsurge of fighting against old and new groups of ethnic minority fighters. Attacks on junta-appointed local administrators have increased in recent weeks, with state media on Thursday reporting "terrorists" and "insurgents" had killed or wounded officials with knives, guns and home-made bombs. It also reported arson attacks on state-owned property in several cities. Witnesses and local media reported explosions on Thursday in Mandalay and the biggest city, Yangon. Anti-coup marches took place in different parts of the country by day, with candle-lit strikes and protests by night on Thursday, all calling for the overthrow of the military, many with signs backing the unity government. The NUG on Thursday announced the formation of a commission to draft a new federal constitution, hoping to follow through with a pledge by Suu Kyi's party to replace the current military-drafted charter. Myanmar's constitution had long been a source of friction between the army and Suu Kyi's government, which was intent on amending it to reduce the military's political powers, which included parliamentary seats and control of defence and interior ministries. The junta has been hit by Western sanctions and widely condemned over the coup and its violent suppression of protests, but has found a diplomatic friend in Russia, a key source of its defence hardware. News outlets in both countries on Thursday reported a Myanmar military delegation was visiting Moscow to attend an exhibition showcasing Russian helicopters..."
Source/publisher: "Reuters" (UK)
2021-05-20
Date of entry/update: 2021-05-21
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Description: "On Saturday, May 15, 2021, the Myanmar military – known as the Tatmadaw – launched a coordinated attack against the town of Mindat in Myanmar’s western Chin State. This latest crackdown was precipitated by several weeks of sustained fighting between the Tatmadaw and civilian defense forces in Mindat, formed in March in response to increasing military violence against civilians participating in the peaceful nationwide anti-coup resistance. Following an imposition of martial law on the grounds of insurgency, the siege of Mindat has been characterized by indiscriminate deployment of heavy weaponry by land and air, widespread use of forced labor and human shields, and active obstruction of delivery of basic humanitarian necessities for civilians, including food, water, and access to medical care and supplies. In response to escalating violence against civilians in Mindat, Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) issued the following statement: “The reports out of Mindat, including the Tatmadaw’s blocking of humanitarian and medical aid and access to clean water, expose the horrifying reality of ongoing violence against tens of thousands of civilians in Mindat by the Myanmar military. These actions further echo the unconscionable actions and severe breaches of international human rights law perpetrated by the Tatmadaw since the group seized power in a February 1 coup d’état. Physicians for Human Rights is appalled by the Myanmar military’s unlawful implementation of martial law in Mindat, who has pushed civilians into Mindat’s surrounding jungles to escape detention, and the reported obstruction in access to clean drinking water. “Through an unlawful and violent campaign to seize power, directly violating security forces’ responsibility and duty to protect, the Tatmadaw continues to violate the basic human rights of Myanmar’s people. Mindat civilians, mostly men, who have reportedly been forced into the forested areas around Mindat, have little to no access to shelter, water, food, or medical care. Their forced absence has left women and children in Mindat vulnerable to the brutal tactics of war deployed against the Rohingya and other ethnic minorities by the Myanmar military, including sexual and gender-based violence, which PHR has long documented and corroborated. “This new wave of violence in western Chin State has further contributed to the displacement of tens of thousands of people, both internally and across the Indian border. The escalating crisis critically compounds already strained access to humanitarian and medical aid experienced by internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Myanmar. Medical personnel are reportedly unable to reach IDPs in Mindat without coming under artillery fire by the Tatmadaw, and are prevented from tending to patients in critical condition due to a lack of safe medical facilities available for emergency surgeries. PHR condemns the Myanmar military’s obstruction of critical medical and humanitarian aid, and the impediment of medical personnel’s duty to administer care to civilians desperately in need. “Physicians for Human Rights demands that the Tatmadaw immediately cease attacks against the Mindat community, reestablish access to clean water and medical supplies, and end the obstruction of medical and humanitarian aid, which is in grave violation of international human rights law. As well, PHR calls on international and regional actors, including the United Nations Security Council and the Association for Southeast Asian Nations, to urgently negotiate an agreement to establish a safe and secure demilitarized humanitarian corridor into Mindat and other similarly afflicted territories across Myanmar. PHR emphasizes the acute need for humanitarian and medical personnel to fully access affected civilians without encumbrance, as is necessary to provide health care to the sick and wounded, to deliver humanitarian aid more broadly, and to ensure the safety and security of surrounding communities. “The latest human rights violations demonstrate that ongoing sanctions and justice and accountability efforts are not sufficiently serving as deterrents. International actors that have been leading the effort to advance targeted sanctions against perpetrators of these abuses – such as the United States and European Union – should build a broad, international coalition comprised of governments and businesses in support of a sanctions regime that will prevent the Tatmadaw and other security forces from accessing resources to continue perpetrating abuses against the Myanmar people.” Dr. Maung,* a volunteer surgeon based in Mandalay and a PHR medical partner, said that he had spoken with medical colleagues on the ground in Mindat who have reported on the dire need for immediate medical aid. “Several patients are in need of emergency surgery. Without it, they won’t survive for long. Surgeons are traveling from Mandalay to try and assist the wounded, but first they must be able to transfer the patients to a safe zone, as there is little they can do in the jungle,” he said. In a statement responding to the Myanmar military’s coup, PHR condemned mass arbitrary arrests and detention of civilian leaders and human rights defenders in Myanmar, and called for an immediate de-escalation of the situation, the prompt release of political prisoners, and the restoration of communications networks. Following escalating violence directly after the coup, PHR additionally condemned attacks against protestors and the reported detention of medical professionals. PHR reprises its call to the international community to hold the Myanmar military and other responsible actors accountable for its August 2017 campaign of widespread and systematic violence against the Rohingya ethnic minority in “clearance operations” that forced more than 720,000 Rohingya into neighboring Bangladesh. The Tatmadaw has an egregious history of human rights violations against civilians, including perpetrating forced labor, sexual violence, torture, extrajudicial killings, child labor, and other abuses in Myanmar’s ethnic territories, including Chin State, which PHR documented in 2011. International efforts to quell the violence are critically important as the perpetrators of these grave violations increase their political power and continue to operate with impunity within Myanmar. *Dr. Maung asked that we use only his surname for security reasons..."
Source/publisher: Physicians for Human Rights (New York)
2021-05-20
Date of entry/update: 2021-05-21
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Thousands of residents of a hill town in northwest Myanmar were hiding in jungles, villages and valleys on Monday after fleeing an assault by state troops, witnesses said, as the army advanced into the town after days battling local militias. Mindat, about 100 km (60 miles) from the Indian border in Chin state, has seen some of the most intense fighting since a Feb. 1 coup that has led to the emergence of ragtag local armies that are stifling the junta's bid to consolidate power. Martial law was declared in Mindat on Thursday before the army launched its assault, using artillery and helicopters against a newly formed Chinland Defence Force, a militia armed mainly with hunting rifles, which said it had pulled back to spare civilians from being caught in the crossfire. Several residents reached by Reuters said food was in short supply and estimated as many as 5,000 to 8,000 people had fled the town, with roads blocked and the presence of troops in the streets preventing their return. "Almost everyone left the city," said a volunteer fighter who said she was in a jungle. "Most of them are in hiding." A representative of the local people's administrative group of Mindat said he was among some 200 people, including women and children, who had trekked across rocky roads and hills carrying blankets, rice and cooking pots. He said the group was attacked with heavy weapons when troops spotted smoke from their cooking fires. "We have to move from one place to another. We cannot settle in a place in the jungle," he told Reuters by phone. "Some men were arrested as they went into town to get more food for us. We cannot get into town currently. We are going to starve in few days." The Chinland Defence Forces in a statement on Monday said it had killed five government troops in Hakha, another town in Chin State. The United Nations children's fund UNICEF in a tweet urged security forces to ensure safety of children in Mindat, the latest international call for restraint after human rights groups, the United States and Britain condemned the use of war weapons against civilians. MULTIPLE FRONTS The United States, Britain and Canada on Monday announced more sanctions against businesses and individuals tied to the junta. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged more countries to follow suit. read more Myanmar has been in chaos since the coup, with the military battling armed and peaceful resistance on multiple fronts, adding to concerns about economic collapse and a humanitarian crisis from old conflicts reigniting in border regions. The fighters in Chin State say they are part of the People's Defence Forces of the shadow government, which has called on the international community for help. In an effort to coordinate the anti-junta forces, the shadow government on Monday issued a list of instructions to all the civilian armies, which it said must operate under its command and control. Aid groups in direct contact with residents of Mindat made urgent calls on social media on Monday for donations or food, clothing and medicine. Salai, 24, who has been organising an emergency response, said she had spoken to people hiding in a valley and on farmland who had fled the advance of soldiers. "They looted people's property. They burned down people's houses. It is really upsetting," said Salai. "Some in the town were injured by gunshots, including a young girl. She cannot get medical treatment." A military spokesman did not answer calls or messages seeking comment. In its nightly news bulletin, state-run MRTV said security forces returned fire after coming under attack from insurgents in Mindat, who fled, and that government troops had been attacked elsewhere in Chin State. So far, 790 people have been killed in the junta's crackdown on its opponents, according to the activist group the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners. The military disputes that figure. Reuters cannot independently verify arrests and casualty numbers. The military says it intervened after its complaints of fraud in a November election won by Aung San Suu Kyi's party were ignored. An international monitoring group on Monday said the results of that election "were, by and large, representative of the will of the people of Myanmar"..."
Source/publisher: "Reuters" (UK)
2021-05-18
Date of entry/update: 2021-05-19
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Description: "The number of people from Myanmar seeking shelter in India has swelled to more than 15,000, with more likely to cross over as fighting intensifies in parts Myanmar following a coup, an Indian government official said on Tuesday. The influx into the small, northeast Indian state of Mizoram, which shares a porous, mountainous border with Myanmar, began in late February as policemen fled to avoid having to take orders from a junta trying to suppress opposition to the Feb. 1 coup. By April, about 1,800 people from Myanmar - including several lawmakers - had crossed the border but the number has recently grown to more than 15,400, according to the vice chairman of Mizoram's State Planning Board, H. Rammawi. "It is increasing day by day," Rammawi told Reuters by telephone, adding that many people from Myanmar were going to the homes of relatives making it difficult to track numbers. Communities in Mizoram and some parts of Myanmar have close ethnic ties, with extended families often strung across both sides of the border. About 6,000 of the people from Myanmar are in Mizoram's capital of Aizawl with others scattered in five districts, according to data shared by Rammawi. Rammawi said that residents and non-government organisations were taking care of the people but the state government had sought assistance from federal authorities. "Medical aid and their rations are very important," he said, adding that some people from Myanmar had tested positive for the novel coronavirus. With fighting intensifying in northwest Myanmar's Chin State, opposite Mizoram, Rammawi said he expected the numbers seeking refuge in India to increase. The Myanmar hill town of Mindat, about 100 km (60 miles) from the border, has seen some of the most intense fighting since the coup after a militia took up arms against the junta. read more Thousands have since fled from the town. "More people will be coming," Rammawi said. Several thousand villagers have fled from fighting in eastern Myanmar into Thailand since the coup..."
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Source/publisher: "Reuters" (UK)
2021-05-18
Date of entry/update: 2021-05-19
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Sub-title: Men in embattled town of Mindat flee to the hills as military steps up crack down on resistance to February 1 coup.
Description: "On May 15, Biak Thang hastily said goodbye to his wife and two children, grabbed a few days’ worth of food and supplies and ran to the forest. “We heard that [military forces] are arresting men, so most of the men are escaping and only women and children are left,” said Biak Thang, who asked to use a pseudonym for security reasons. “I don’t feel safe. I only heard about war-displaced people in the media, but we are war-displaced people now,” he said from the wooded hills on the outskirts of Mindat, a town in Myanmar’s Chin State. The Chin Human Rights Organization (CHRO) has warned that the military, which seized power in a February 1 coup, may have committed war crimes and “grave breaches of the Geneva Convention” in Mindat, a town of 46,000 people located 100 kilometres (62 miles) from the border with India. Since imposing martial law there on May 13, the military has used local youth as human shields, occupied schools and hospitals, destroyed property and conducted heavy-weapon attacks by air and land, according to the CHRO and local media reports. The military, also known as the Tatmadaw, has described the violence in Mindat as a response to “armed terrorists,” referring to civilian defence forces, which have taken up arms in recent weeks, and said its forces returned fire after coming under attack.. While the military has reportedly used artillery fire, rocket-propelled grenades and automatic machine guns, the civilian forces are armed largely with homemade hunting rifles and makeshift explosives. Worn down by bloody crackdowns and arbitrary arrests, Mindat’s fighters are among growing numbers of people across the country turning to armed resistance to overthrow military rule. Since the coup, millions have taken to the streets in peaceful protest, while a Civil Disobedience Movement has shut down infrastructure and public services. The military, meanwhile, has killed more than 800 civilians and more than 4,000 people remain in custody, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), which is tracking arrests throughout the country...... ‘Big machine weapons’: Chin, a rural and mountainous state in Myanmar’s northwest which is among the country’s least developed, has become among the fiercest battlegrounds of resistance, along with Sagaing region to its north. Beginning in late March, a group of civilians armed with hunting rifles and homemade weapons maintained a protest camp for more than 10 days in Sagaing’s town of Kalay, where it successfully negotiated a prisoner swap before the military attacked the camp with grenades and machine guns on April 7, killing 11 people. In Mindat, fighting erupted on April 24, after the military refused to release seven detained youth. Two days later, civilian defence forces ambushed six military trucks carrying reinforcement troops and weapons; the military responded by firing rocket launchers and artillery into the town. “The attacks started from the outskirts of Mindat. A few days later, they entered the town using big machine weapons. The situation intensified because they attacked indiscriminately, even in residential areas,” a local volunteer medic told Al Jazeera. She requested her name be withheld for her security. By April 27, Mindat’s civilian defence forces claimed to have killed more than 30 military soldiers. After the military released the seven detainees, the fighting paused for 10 days but resumed on May 12 when the military refused to release five more detainees. The next day, the military declared martial law over the town, after which it brought in troops and arms by land and air and attacked with heavy weapons during a three-day siege. On the morning of May 15, soldiers stormed Mindat, firing into streets and arresting young men from their homes. According to the CHRO, soldiers used at least 15 of the young people they had arrested as human shields. “These are ordinary youths who were trying to get outside of Mindat to avoid indiscriminate bombardment,” the CHRO’s Deputy Director Salai Za Uk Ling told Al Jazeera. “We are extremely concerned about their wellbeing as they are most likely to be mistreated and tortured under custody.” Since the coup, the bodies of numerous detainees across the country have been returned to families bearing signs of torture..... Community in fear: The Tatmadaw’s power grab, which brought to an end a hesitant transition to democracy, has rekindled unresolved armed conflicts between the military and several ethnic armed organisations, which have been fighting for political autonomy in the country’s borderlands for decades. City dwellers have also begun travelling to the territories held by ethnic armed groups to seek training to fight against the military government, while grassroots civilian defence forces have sprung up in areas that had not previously seen fighting. In March, a group of overthrown legislators and ethnic leaders serving as a parallel government in exile endorsed the public’s right to self-defence. On May 5, the shadow government announced the formation of a People’s Defence Force to protect the public’s “safety, property and wellbeing” and fight for the establishment of a federal democratic union. The People’s Defence Force is considered a step towards the creation of a federal army that could unite the country’s ethnic armed organisations and civilian defence forces under a single cause. Biak Thang, the Mindat resident who fled the town on May 15, told Al Jazeera that the community has been living in fear since the Tatmadaw imposed martial law there. “Civilians cannot move around freely,” he said. “We cannot go out to buy food or supplies. We are just depending on what we have stored.” He estimates about 70 percent of local people are hiding in small groups in the forest, and there is a risk of food shortages. Local media have also reported an urgent need for food and medical supplies for those who fled. The volunteer medic told Al Jazeera that she and her team are shifting to different locations in the forest to avoid arrest, while still attempting to care for the wounded. “When we are moving from place to place, even we uninjured people get really exhausted,” she said. “The patients should be resting, but instead, they have to run … It added so much time for their injuries to heal.” She is concerned that a lack of nutritious food will further hinder their recovery. By the time civilian defence forces retreated on May 15, allegedly to prevent further harm to civilians, seven members had been killed, according to local media reports. The military-run TV channel reported that some of its own troops had been killed and were missing but did not give a number. The US and UK embassies have condemned the military’s violence against civilians in Mindat, as has the National Unity Government, Myanmar’s government-in-exile. The National Unity Government also expressed its support for the people’s right to self-defence and called for a no-fly zone over Myanmar as well as international action to end the violence and protect the people..... Women left vulnerable: With most men having fled Mindat, rights groups now warn the women and children left behind are increasingly vulnerable. Soldiers have been looting property and burning down homes since taking over the town, while some residents have been unable to get medical assistance after being shot, a Mindat resident told Reuters news agency. In the wake of the attacks, the National Unity Government’s Ministry of Women, Youths and Children Affairs said in a statement that it had received verified claims of sexual violence in Mindat. Al Jazeera was unable to reach the Deputy Minister for comment. The secretary of the Chin Women Organization Hakha, who requested her name be withheld as she is currently in hiding, told Al Jazeera that she was “worried that the military could use sexual assault and rape as weapons as they have that history … As the military has occupied Mindat, the lives of Chin women and young girls, and all women in Mindat, are not safe anymore,” she said. In August 2019, a UN Fact-Finding Mission reported that Myanmar military soldiers “routinely and systematically” employed rape and sexual violence and that sexual violence perpetrated by the military was “part of a deliberate, well-planned strategy to intimidate, terrorise and punish a civilian population.” During a campaign of violence in Rakhine State in 2017, sexual violence was a factor indicating the military’s “genocidal intent to destroy the Rohingya population,” according to the UN report. Salai Za Uk Ling of the CHRO told Al Jazeera that due to the stigma and sensitivity of the issue, his organisation was not releasing detailed information about alleged sexual violence in Mindat, but he shared concerns that incidents of sexual violence could happen. He also warned that patterns of violence seen in Mindat could spread to other parts of the country, leading to more displacement as the rainy season approaches. With neighbouring India so far refusing to offer asylum to those crossing the border, Salai Za Uk Ling worries that the displaced will be left with no safe place to go. Although the civilian defence forces have retreated in Mindat, fighting is already spreading to other parts of the state. The civilian defence forces claim to have killed five military soldiers in Hakha township, where a member of civilian defence forces was also killed on May 16. Clashes in Tedim township left four military soldiers and two unarmed civilians dead, according to local media reports. Al Jazeera was unable to independently verify the information. “The junta’s actions in Mindat demonstrate how far they are willing to go in trying to put the population under control. Mindat is only the beginning,” said Salai Za Uk Ling. “We are now basically witnessing a humanitarian disaster in the making..."
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Source/publisher: "Al Jazeera" (Qatar)
2021-05-18
Date of entry/update: 2021-05-19
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Today I would like to express my most sincere thanks to the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control for designating 16 individuals and one entity (the 'SAC') with strict sanctions who are supporting the killing of innocent civilians nationwide, most recently in Mindat, Chin State. I would also like to reiterate my sincere thanks to the People and Government of the United States of America for standing in solidarity and being a strong voice for the people of Myanmar. I also want to express my gratitude for the efforts of the U.S. on coordinating targeted sanctions against key tatmadaw personnel, tatmadaw linked companies and enterprises such as MEC, MGE and MEHL. Additionally, I would like to further thank the United States government for taking a strong leadership role in the UN and G7 summits on behalf of the people of Myanmar, and for the recognition of CRPH and NUG as important voices of many in this nation. The official press release is as follows: "WASHINGTON - Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated 16 individuals and one entity connected to Burma’s military regime. Thirteen of the individuals sanctioned today are key members of Burma’s military regime, which is violently repressing the pro-democracy movement in the country and is responsible for the ongoing violent and lethal attacks against the people of Burma, including the killing of children. The other three individuals are adult children of previously designated senior Burmese military officials. The entity is the State Administration Council (SAC), the body created by the military to support its unlawful overthrow of the democratically elected civilian government. These designations today are made pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 14014, “Blocking Property with Respect to the Situation in Burma.” These sanctions are not directed at the people of Burma. In concurrent actions, the U.K. and Canada also sanctioned persons and/or entities in relation to the on-going coup in Burma. “Burma’s military continues to commit human rights abuses and oppress the people of Burma. Today’s action demonstrates the United States' commitment to work with our international partners to press the Burmese military and promote accountability for those responsible for the coup and ongoing violence," said Andrea Gacki, Director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control. As a part of today’s action, the State Administrative Council (SAC) is designated for being a political subdivision, agency, or instrumentality of the Government of Burma. The SAC, which is the official name of the military government in Burma, was formed by Burma’s military on February 2, 2021. It is largely made up of military officials and led by Commander-in-Chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, whom Treasury designated on February 11, 2021 pursuant to E.O. 14014. The following four individuals are designated pursuant to E.O. 14014 for being foreign persons who are or were leaders or officials of the Government of Burma on or after February 2, 2021: Mahn Nyein Maung is a member of the SAC; Thein Nyunt is a member of the SAC; • Sai Lone Saing is a member of the SAC; and Khin Maung Swe is a member of the SAC. The following nine individuals, who are members of the military regime, are designated pursuant to E.0.14014 for being foreign persons who are or were leaders or officials of the Government of Burma on or after February 2, 2021: Ko Ko Hlaing is the Minister of International Cooperation; Tun Aung Myint is the Minister for Ethnic Affairs; • Tun Tun Naung is the Minister of Border Affairs; • Than Nyein is the governor of the Central Bank of Burma; • Pwint San is the Minister of Commerce; Win Shein is the Minister for Planning, Finance, and Industry; Thein Soe is the chairman of the military-appointed Union Election Commission, the regime’s electoral body; Thet Khaing Win is the Minister of Health and Sports; and • Khin Maung Yi is the Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation. In addition to the individuals identified above, the following three individuals are designated pursuant to E.O. 14014 for being a spouse or adult child of a person whose property and interests in property are blocked. • Hein Htet is the adult child of SAC member General Maung Maung Kyaw, whom Treasury designated on February 22, 2021 pursuant to E.O. 14014; Kaung Htet is also an adult child of General Maung Maung Kyaw; and Yin Min Thu is the adult child of SAC member Admiral Tin Aung San, whom Treasury designated on February 11, 2021 pursuant to E.O. 14014..."
Source/publisher: Ministry of International Cooperation Myanmar
2021-05-18
Date of entry/update: 2021-05-18
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Description: "ကြေညာချက် အမှတ် ( ၂၈/၂၀၂၁ ) =================== ၁၃၈၃ ခုနှစ်၊ ကဆုန်လဆန်း ၆ ရက် မေလ (၁၆)ရက်၊ ၂၀၂၁ခုနှစ်။ --------------------------- ၁။ ချင်းပြည်နယ် မင်းတပ်မြို့တွင် ဖြစ်ပွားလျက်ရှိသော အကြမ်းဖက်စစ်ကောင်စီတပ်၏ အပြစ်မဲ့ အရပ်သား ပြည်သူလူထုနှင့် ကလေးသူငယ်များအပေါ် လူသားမဆန်စွာ လက်နက်ကြီးများဖြင့် ပစ်ခတ်တိုက်ခိုက်ခြင်း၊ တိုက်ခိုက်ရေးရဟတ်ယာဉ်များ အသုံးပြု၍ ပြင်းထန်စွာ တိုက်ခိုက်ဖြိုခွင်းမှုများအပေါ် ပြည်ထောင်စုလွှတ်တော် ကိုယ်စားပြုကော်မတီ (CRPH) အနေဖြင့် ပြင်းထန်စွာ ရှုတ်ချလိုက်သည်။ ၂။ အာဏာသိမ်းစစ်ကောင်စီ၏ အပြစ်မဲ့ပြည်သူလူထုနှင့် ကလေးသူငယ်များအပေါ် ပစ်မှတ်ထား တိုက်ခိုက်မှု များသည် လူ့အခွင့်အရေးချိုးဖောက်မှုများ ဖြစ်သဖြင့် ချက်ချင်းရပ်တန့်ရန်နှင့် လူသားမျိုးနွယ်စုအပေါ် ကျူးလွန် သော ရာဇဝတ်ပြစ်မှုများအတွက်လည်း စစ်ကောင်စီက တာဝန်ခံရမည် ဖြစ်ကြောင်း ပြင်းထန်စွာသတိပေး လိုက်သည်။ ၃။ ကုလသမဂ္ဂ အပါအဝင် နိုင်ငံတကာ အသိုင်းအဝိုင်းအနေဖြင့်လည်း အကြမ်းဖက်သတ်ဖြတ် တိုက်ခိုက်နေ သော အာဏာသိမ်း စစ်ကောင်စီကို ထိရောက်သော အရေးယူမှုများ အမြန်ဆုံးဆောင်ရွက်ရန် တိုက်တွန်းသည်။ ၄။ ပြည်သူလူထုမှ အာဏာသိမ်း စစ်ကောင်စီ၏ အကြမ်းဖက် ပြုကျင့်မှုများကို လက်မခံနိုင်ပဲ ရရာလက်နက်စွဲ ကိုင် တော်လှန်နေသော မင်းတပ်ပြည်သူလူထု၏ ရဲစွမ်းသတ္တိနှင့် တွန်းလှန်နေမှုကို ပြည်ထောင်စုလွှတ်တော် ကိုယ်စားပြုကော်မတီအနေဖြင့် အသိအမှတ်ပြု ဂုဏ်ပြုသည့်အပြင် ထိခိုက်ကျဆုံးခဲ့ရသော မင်းတပ်ပြည်သူလူထု နှင့် တစ်သားတည်း ဝမ်းနည်းခံစားရပါကြောင်း၊ အမျိုးသားညီညွတ်ရေးအစိုးရနှင့် ပေါင်းစပ်ညှိနှိုင်းကာ လိုအပ် သောအကူအညီများ ဆောင်ရွက်သွားမည်ဖြစ်ကြောင်း ထုတ်ပြန်ကြေညာလိုက်သည်။ ပြည်ထောင်စုလွှတ်တော်ကိုယ်စားပြုကော်မတီ..."
Source/publisher: Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (CRPH)
2021-05-16
Date of entry/update: 2021-05-17
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Description: "Dear: I am sorry to disturb you again so soon after my last correspondence, but another major crisis has emerged that requires urgent attention. In the last few days, attacks by the military junta in Myanmar have seriously escalated with indiscriminate shelling and bombing of 50,000 civilians in the town of Mindat in Chin State. The town is under siege by 1000 troops and is being bombed by helicopter gunships and heavy artillery, including tanks. I attach an urgent statement from Dr. Sasa, spokesperson of the National Unity Government. A few days ago, 20 young men were arrested by the military in the town. Their screams of torture, heard by residents, led to protests that, as elsewhere throughout Myanmar, have been violently suppressed. The military personnel in the first convoy that approached the town, after talking with courageous local inhabitants, abandoned their vehicles and their weapons, presumably because they did not wish to participate in the killing of the civilian population. However, the military subsequently heavily reinforced their presence and are now bombarding the town. The military are arresting anyone who tries to help wounded civilians and those they have arrested, including medical personnel, are being used as human shields by the military. In the last 48 hours, 5 civilians have been killed and 14 injured. Meanwhile, homes are being destroyed by tanks and helicopter gunships. Mindat is an important town for the Chin people and a gateway to Chin State. It is a centre for Chin culture and its Buddhist and Christian population. This could be one reason why it has been targeted by the military junta, which habitually targets ethnic communities. (Such attacks are also being carried out against the Kachin, Karen and Rohingya people). It is likely that the Junta wish to 'make an example' of Mindat, to spread fear across Chin State and the rest of Myanmar. I have visited Mindat and have received gracious, generous hospitality from the people and the community leaders there. They are a peace-loving people who do not deserve to be victims of such violence and have few resources to defend themselves. It is poignant that they destroyed rather than kept the weapons abandoned by the soldiers in the first convoy. I have visited Mindat and have received gracious, generous hospitality from the people and the community leaders there. They are a peace-loving people who do not deserve to be victims of such violence and have few resources to defend themselves. It is poignant that they destroyed rather than kept the weapons abandoned by the soldiers in the first convoy. Since the military coup on 1 February, nearly 800 civilians (including 52 children) have been killed and 5000 civilians detained by the military junta. Today, the elected Minister of International Cooperation and International Spokesperson for the newly-formed National Unity Government (NUG), Dr. Sasa, said: “The international community must support the courageous people of Myanmar to end this reign of terror once and for all. The military forces must be stopped. If delays in the recognition of NUG as the legitimate government of Myanmar continue, the risks of a full blown of civil war are very high.” I call upon the British government and the UN Security Council: • To call upon the junta to end the siege of Mindat. • To immediately sanction the military regime in Myanmar with the suspension of all military trade deals; dealings with stateowned companies; and trade in oil and gas. • To recognise the democratically elected National Unity Government; • and to urge all other nations to do likewise. Yours sincerely, Caroline - The Baroness Cox House of Lords London SW1A0PW..."
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Source/publisher: House of Lords via Ministry of International Cooperation Myanmar
2021-05-15
Date of entry/update: 2021-05-16
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Mindat Chin State of Myanmar under intensive terrorist attacks by the junta 'SAC' forces: 15 May 2021 - In the last 72 hours, murderer-in-chief Min Aung Hlaing and his terrorist henchmen have been directing their cruel reign o f terror specifically against fifty thousand Chin civilians o f the town of Mindat in Southern Chin State. These terrorists have been constantly attacking the civilians in Mindat by shelling, heavy battlefield weapons, and by using 7 Helicopter gunships with 1000 plus terrorist reinforcement forces from the central terrorist regime command. Five civilians have been killed in Mindat in the last 48 hours by these terrorists, and 14 civilians injured. Civilian homes are being destroyed by helicopter gunships and bombing. These Junta terrorist forces are using Mindat civilians as human-shields to protect themselves and arresting local medical personnel who are saving their fellow wounded Mindat civilians. The terrorist 'SAC' forces under the command of murderer-in-chief Min Aung Hlaing's reign of terror in Mindat must be stopped immediately! A no-fly-zone must be imposed above Myanmar urgently! These terrorists must their siege against the citizens o f Mindat, end their occupation, and leave Chin State at once! Those responsible for and participating in these cruel atrocities and war crimes against the brave and innocent civilians o f Chin State who are trying to protect themselves, will surely be held accountable and brought to justice to pay for their crimes. All the Nations and International Communities must stand, support, and fight together with the brave and courageous people of Myanmar to end this reign of terror and nightmare once and for all. There is no room in today's world for this brutal and murderous criminal regime. Together, we will win! - Dr. Sasa Union Minister o f Ministry of International Cooperation and Spokesperson National Unity Government Myanmar..."
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Source/publisher: Ministry of International Cooperation Myanmar
2021-05-15
Date of entry/update: 2021-05-15
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "ပြည်ထောင်စုသမ္မတမြန်မာနိုင်ငံတော် အမျိုးသားညီညွတ်ရေးအစိုးရ အမျိုးသမီး၊ လူငယ်နှင့် ကလေးသူငယ်ရေးရာ ဝန်ကြီးဌာန ထုတ်ပြန်ကြေညာချက်အမှတ်(၂/၂၀၂၁) ၂၀၂၁ ခုနှစ်၊ မေလ (၁၅) ရက် ၁။ ယနေ့နံနက်မှစ၍အကြမ်းဖက်စစ်ကောင်စီ၏ မြေပြင်နှင့်ဝေဟင် တိုက်ခိုက်မှုများကြောင့် မင်းတပ်မြို့သည် စစ်မြေပြင်ကဲ့သို့ ဖြစ်ပွားလျက်ရှိပြီး စစ်ကောင်စီအနေဖြင့် နိုင်ငံတကာဥပဒေများကို ချိုးဖောက်ကာ ဖမ်းဆီးခံရသည့် ပြည်သူလူထုအား လူသားဒိုင်းအဖြစ်အသုံးပြု၍ ပြင်းထန်စွာ ထိုးစစ်ဆင်နေကြောင်း သိရသည်။ ၂။ မင်းတပ်မြို့ရှိ တိုက်ပွဲများကြားတွင် ပိတ်မိနေသော အရွယ်မရောက်သေးသည့် ကလေးသူငယ်များ၊ အမျိုးသမီးများနှင့် သက်ကြီးရွယ်အိုများ အတွက် အထူးစိုးရိမ်မိပါသည်။ ၃။ အကြမ်းဖက်စစ်ကောင်စီသည် ဖမ်းဆီးခံအမျိုးသမီးများကို လိင်ပိုင်းဆိုင်ရာ အကြမ်းဖက် ကျူးလွန်မှုများ ရှိနေကြောင်းလည်း သက်သေအချက်အလက်များဖြင့် တိုင်ကြားမှုများ ရှိနေပါသည်။ စစ်ကောင်စီ အနေဖြင့် နိုင်ငံတကာအဖွဲ့အစည်းများနှင့် အာဆီယံ၏ တောင်းဆိုချက်များအပေါ် လိုက်နာရန်၊ မင်းတပ်မြို့ရှိ ပြည်သူလူထုအား ဝေဟင်စစ်ကြောင်း၊ မြေပြင်စစ်ကြောင်းများဖြင့် အင်အား အလွန်အကျွံသုံးပြီး တိုက်ခိုက်မှုများကိုရပ်တန့်ရန်၊ ဒေသခံလူထုများအပေါ် ဓားစာခံအဖြစ် အသုံးချခြင်း၊ လိင်ပိုင်းဆိုင်ရာအကြမ်းဖက်မှုများ ကျုးလွန်နေခြင်းတို့ကို ချက်ချင်းရပ်တန့်ရန် ထုတ်ပြန်လိုက်သည်။ ၄။ ဝန်ကြီးဌာနအနေဖြင့် မင်းတပ်မြို့ရှိ ပြည်သူများ တရားမျှတမှုရရှိစေရန်အတွက် နိုင်ငံတကာ စစ်ခုံရုံးများတွင် အကြမ်းဖက်စစ်ကောင်စီ၏ ကျူးလွန်မှုများကို တိုင်ကြားသွားမည် ဖြစ်ပါသည်။ ထို့အပြင် မင်းတပ်မြို့လူထုအတွက် လူသားချင်း စာနာထောက် ထားမှုဆိုင်ရာ အရေးပေါ်အကူအညီများ အလျင်အမြန် ရရှိနိုင်ရန်လည်း ကူညီသွားမည်ဖြစ်ကြောင်း ထုတ်ပြန်လိုက်သည်။ အမျိုးသမီး၊ လူငယ်နှင့် ကလေးသူငယ်ရေးရာဝန်ကြီးဌာန အမျိုးသားညီညွတ်ရေးအစိုးရ..."
Source/publisher: Ministry of Women, Youths and Children Affairs
2021-05-15
Date of entry/update: 2021-05-15
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "The Republic of the Union of Myanmar National Unity Government Ministry of Foreign Affairs Announcement (3/2021) May 15, 2021 “Calling Immediate Attention on Mindat” 1. After the Myanmar military (Tatmadaw) staged the coup d’etat, it killed over 800 people and arrested over four thousand people. Due to the acts of terror committed by the Myanmar military, it was declared as the terrorist organization by the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (CRPH). 2. The Myanmar military failed to end all forms of violence against the innocent people. It instead accelerated acts of terrorism in many places across Myanmar. 3. Due to the Tatmadaw’s terrorist actions against the innocent people of Mindat, Chin State, the Chinland Defense Force (CDF), by exercising the right to self-defense, has been defending the defenseless people of Mindat, Chin State. 4. Since yesterday, the Tatmadaw has been sending more forces to the areas near Mindat while the attack helicopters are hovering above the houses of the people in Mindat. The military is shooting inside the town with heavy artilleries. 5. There have been 5 innocent people who were killed by the military actions against the civilian population and 10 people were injured. Many more are potentially under the threat of fatalities and serious injuries. The military arrested the health workers who are volunteering to provide healthcare assistance to the injured people. 6. Within the next 48 hours, Mindat can potentially become a battleground and thousands of people are facing the danger of being displaced. 7. Therefore, we would like to urge the international community to take immediate actions to end all violence of the Tatmadaw and protect the defenseless people of Mindat, Chin State..."
Source/publisher: Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Myanmar - NUG
2021-05-15
Date of entry/update: 2021-05-15
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Description: "The Chin Human Rights Organization (CHRO) is deeply troubled and strongly condemns the torture and death of two Chin civilians by Tatmadaw soldiers from Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) 266 operating under the Tactical Operations Command based in Hakha, Chin State. CHRO is calling for a thorough and independent investigation into the deaths of the two individuals while in custody, as well as all allegations of systematic torture practices currently being used against civilian detainees at the LIB 266 military base detention centre located on Mount Rung. Tler Ling, a 54-year-old local farmer was arrested by Tatmadaw soldiers on Sunday, 9 May having been accused of harboring members of the Chinland Defense Force (CDF) and for alleged possession of a traditional hunting rifle at his farmhouse on the outskirts of Hakha Town. A second victim, 27-year-old, Kham Bawi who had just arrived from his village and was staying with relatives in Hakha, was arrested separately on the same day. Both were taken to the Tactical Operations Command Center on Mount Rung where they were tortured and later died. Initially the Tactical Operations Commander, Colonel Saw Tun told community and religious leaders that the two had succumbed to injuries sustained during their interrogations while on the way to Kalay Myo (approx. 200 kilometres away from Hakha) having been transported there for urgent medical treatment. This differed from accounts provided within the Monday edition of the state-run daily newspaper Myanmar Alin, which stated that the two had succumbed to heart disease. When community leaders pressed for the bodies to be returned to the families for proper burial according to Chin customary traditions, Colonel Saw Tun informed community members that the bodies had been cremated as 54-year-old, Tler Ling was discovered to have contracted COVID-19. CHRO has raised grave concerns regarding the treatment of detainees and allegations of torture practices used by the Tatmadaw during interrogations and has documented serious bodily and psychological injuries inflicted on civilian detainees suspected of being involved in anti-junta activities since the February 1 coup d’etat: “Accountability for such heinous crimes must go to the top of the chain of command. As the two highest-ranking army officials in Chin State, we hold Tactical Operations Commander Colonel Saw Tun, and Brigadier-General Myo Htut Hlaing, Deputy Commander of the Northwestern Regional Command as culpable for the deaths of Tler Ling and Khamh Bawi,” said Salai Za Uk Ling, Deputy Executive Director of CHRO. For more information please contact: [email protected] Tel: +91 873 104 6827..."
Source/publisher: Chin Human Rights Organization
2021-05-12
Date of entry/update: 2021-05-15
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Description: "As many as 15 Myanmar soldiers were killed in western Chin state Monday by a newly formed ethnic militia, one of whose fighters vowed to “inflict damage” on the junta that ousted the country’s elected government, witnesses and a local rights group said. Monday’s ambush by the Chinland Defense Force in Chin state, a mountainous, impoverished area near the border with India and Bangladesh, came amid sporadic protests across Myanmar that were met by violent repression by security forces, and heavy-handed efforts to halt citizens’ donations to the anti-junta movement. “As many as 15 Burmese soldiers have reportedly been killed in a firefight with local civil militia in Mindat, southern Chin state,” the Chin Human Rights Organization (CHRO) said on its Facebook page. A truck was also seen burning in the town, the group said. The CHRO said about 10 of the slain soldiers were in a convoy of three trucks sent as reinforcements from the army’s Tactical Operations Command headquarters in nearby Matupi town, while five other troops were reported killed in Mindat, a town of 10,000 people. “Sources further said the army is sending more reinforcements in another convoy of five army trucks from Pakokku,” the social media post said. Pakkoku is a city of 400,000 people in central Magwe region. A member of the Chinland Defense Force, formed on April 4 by anti-coup protesters, said that the group aims to end the military dictatorship, abolish a constitution imposed by the army to entrench its power, and establish a federal union. “We cannot say right now what the strategy will be, but we plan to inflict damage on them,” he told RFA. “If the threats and violence do not end, we, the CDF, will use all available weapons and other means. We have tumee rifles and other weapons to confront them,” said the Chin fighter, referring to homemade hunting rifles that people in western Myanmar have used to fight off junta troops. “Currently, we have no casualties on our side,” he told RFA Monday night. “Casualties are only on their side.”.....Three other soldiers dead: At least three soldiers died in a similar battle in Mindat on Sunday night, the CHRO said on Facebook. Another member of the CDF from Mindat said more people from Chin state will join the militia to fight Myanmar forces. “In the long run, other townships will join us to fight them, to protect the Civil Disobedience Movement [CDM], and to protect their own people,” he said. “There might be fear and concern among the people, but we need to end the military dictatorship.” RFA could not reach junta spokesman Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun for comment on the clashes in Chin state. Kyaw Saw Han, a national security researcher, said militias across the country, including the Chin forces, could form a collective national force and use guerrilla tactics to defend their areas. “I don’t think these groups are formed to directly confront the military,” he said. “Their strategy is not clear, but it can be assumed that they will strive to defend their region,” he said. “They could launch attacks on military bases and other state-owned structures like police stations.” Twelve weeks after troops overthrew Aung San Suu Kyi and her elected civilian government, sporadic anti-junta protests continued to erupt across the country of 54 million people, resulting in violent crackdowns and clashes between security forces and protesters. The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a Thailand-based rights group, said that as of Monday, 753 people had been killed in the violence since Feb. 1, while 4,484 others had been arrested. HOME | NEWS | MYANMAR Attacks by an Ethnic Militia Kill Some 15 Junta Troops in Myanmar’s Chin State 2021-04-26 Email storyComment on this storySharePrint story PrintShareCommentEmail Attacks by an Ethnic Militia Kill Some 15 Junta Troops in Myanmar’s Chin State Myanmar protesters flash a three-finger salute of defiance while holding a banner during a demonstration against the military coup in Yangon, April 26, 2021. RFA As many as 15 Myanmar soldiers were killed in western Chin state Monday by a newly formed ethnic militia, one of whose fighters vowed to “inflict damage” on the junta that ousted the country’s elected government, witnesses and a local rights group said. Monday’s ambush by the Chinland Defense Force in Chin state, a mountainous, impoverished area near the border with India and Bangladesh, came amid sporadic protests across Myanmar that were met by violent repression by security forces, and heavy-handed efforts to halt citizens’ donations to the anti-junta movement. “As many as 15 Burmese soldiers have reportedly been killed in a firefight with local civil militia in Mindat, southern Chin state,” the Chin Human Rights Organization (CHRO) said on its Facebook page. A truck was also seen burning in the town, the group said. The CHRO said about 10 of the slain soldiers were in a convoy of three trucks sent as reinforcements from the army’s Tactical Operations Command headquarters in nearby Matupi town, while five other troops were reported killed in Mindat, a town of 10,000 people. “Sources further said the army is sending more reinforcements in another convoy of five army trucks from Pakokku,” the social media post said. Pakkoku is a city of 400,000 people in central Magwe region. A member of the Chinland Defense Force, formed on April 4 by anti-coup protesters, said that the group aims to end the military dictatorship, abolish a constitution imposed by the army to entrench its power, and establish a federal union. “We cannot say right now what the strategy will be, but we plan to inflict damage on them,” he told RFA. “If the threats and violence do not end, we, the CDF, will use all available weapons and other means. We have tumee rifles and other weapons to confront them,” said the Chin fighter, referring to homemade hunting rifles that people in western Myanmar have used to fight off junta troops. “Currently, we have no casualties on our side,” he told RFA Monday night. “Casualties are only on their side.” myanmar-protesters-defiance-salute-yangon-apr26-2021.jpg Myanmar protesters flash a three-finger salute of defiance while holding a banner that reads "Yangon strike will defeat all enemies" during a demonstration against the military coup in Yangon, April 26, 2021. Credit: RFA Three other soldiers dead At least three soldiers died in a similar battle in Mindat on Sunday night, the CHRO said on Facebook. Another member of the CDF from Mindat said more people from Chin state will join the militia to fight Myanmar forces. “In the long run, other townships will join us to fight them, to protect the Civil Disobedience Movement [CDM], and to protect their own people,” he said. “There might be fear and concern among the people, but we need to end the military dictatorship.” RFA could not reach junta spokesman Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun for comment on the clashes in Chin state. Kyaw Saw Han, a national security researcher, said militias across the country, including the Chin forces, could form a collective national force and use guerrilla tactics to defend their areas. “I don’t think these groups are formed to directly confront the military,” he said. “Their strategy is not clear, but it can be assumed that they will strive to defend their region,” he said. “They could launch attacks on military bases and other state-owned structures like police stations.” Twelve weeks after troops overthrew Aung San Suu Kyi and her elected civilian government, sporadic anti-junta protests continued to erupt across the country of 54 million people, resulting in violent crackdowns and clashes between security forces and protesters. The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a Thailand-based rights group, said that as of Monday, 753 people had been killed in the violence since Feb. 1, while 4,484 others had been arrested. Restrictions on cash flows: In a new tactic to derive the CDM of funds to oppose the junta and support a fledgling parallel government launched in mid-April, security forces are stopping and searching people in the streets and warning them against carrying large sums of money. “The junta has made restrictions on cash flows because they fear a normal cash flow will help support dissident groups and civil servants who had joined the CDM movement,” said a member of the parallel government in exile representing a group of lawmakers ousted in the coup. A woman from Sagaing region, told RFA that she was stopped by security forces on her way to town to go shopping carrying 1.8 million kyats (U.S. $1,270). “I used to go to town with a lot of cash like that because there were no inspections before, [but] the other day when I went to town, they stopped me on the way and asked what I had in my handbag,” she said, adding that security forces told her to carry no more than 50,000 kyats (U.S. $35) in public. With nearly all banks closed since shortly after the coup when their employees left their jobs and joined the anti-coup movement, and the internet shut down by the junta, the cash restrictions are hurting businesses that already have been struggling after a year of coronavirus closures and political turmoil. “Some of the companies we were dealing with use online mobile money transfers,” said a businessman in Monywa, Sagaing region. “They deposit money through the online payments, and then we send it to the merchants. Now, the companies in Yangon are not accepting mobile transfers—only cash — so we are stuck.” Hundreds of people continued protesting on Monday in the regions of Yangon, Mandalay, Bago, and Magwe region, as well as in Shan and Kachin states. A small bomb exploded near a Yadanabon Bank office in Myanmar’s second-largest city Mandalay, and a local resident said there was clash between the junta’s forces and local protest defenders who demanded the release of six detainees grabbed by military forces on Sunday.....Aung San Suu Kyi’s latest court hearing: Deposed Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi, under house arrest in the capital Naypyidaw, attended a virtual court session Monday on a charge against her for allegedly violating the Official Secrets Act in Yangon, Khin Maung Zaw, the leader of her defense team told RFA, adding “the reason is still unknown.” The lawyers on Monday submitted an application for the transfer of power of attorney required for the defense for the most recently added charge against Aung San Suu Kyi, but the prosecutors said the police are waiting for further instructions from higher authorities, said defense attorney Min Min Soe. “Mother Suu said it has been so long already, and more and more charges have been added since the first case,” Min Min Soe said. “She said it is imperative that the client meet her defense lawyers.” The 75-year-old Aung San Suu Kyi faces other charges for alleged incitement and sedition, violating the telecommunication law, possession of unlicensed walkie-talkie radios, and violating the Natural Disaster Management Law for breaching COVID-19 pandemic restrictions during the 2020 election campaign. Detained President Win Myint and Naypyidaw Council Chairman Myo Aung also attended video-conference hearings on Monday. The next hearing date for all three is May 10. Reported by RFA’s Myanmar Service. Translated by Kyaw Min Htun and Khin Maung Nyane. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin..."
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Source/publisher: "RFA" (USA)
2021-04-26
Date of entry/update: 2021-04-28
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Sub-title: A pig virus broke out last month and is threatening swine farms in Htantlang township in Chin State, a senior Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation Ministry official said on June 2.
Description: "U Min Thein Maw, director of the ministry’s Veterinary Department, said that the agency has stepped up measures to control the outbreak of porcine circovirus type (PCV2). “As of May 31, 187 pigs had died of the disease,” he said. “To prevent its spread, the transport of pig and pork products in the region is being regulated and monitored closely." He added that the disease is not communicable to people but could lead to huge economic losses for pig farmers. Veterinary department personnel are conducting regular inspections, spraying disinfectant, taking samples and focussing on biosafety at pig farms. The virus is common in both domestic and wild pigs. Its symptoms include loss of appetite, hepatitis, and dermatitis. These symptoms normally lead to death, while some animals die without displaying any symptoms, the department said. The government is trying to control the disease, and once that is accomplished will try to meet the needs of livestock breeders. In Myanmar, African swine flu occurred in Shan State in 2019 and in Shan and Kachin earlier this year..."
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Source/publisher: "Myanmar Times" (Myanmar)
2020-06-04
Date of entry/update: 2020-06-05
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Description: "Since the first case of COVID-19 was found in Chin State on March 29, businesses have closed and many working poor are now unemployed. Government handouts of food supplies were gratefully received but are quickly running out. What is in store for the next few months for the people of Chin?..."
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Source/publisher: "Frontier Myanmar" (Myanmar)
2020-05-18
Date of entry/update: 2020-05-18
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Description: "...THE United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has successfully obtained access and delivered food to people affected by ongoing armed conflict in Samee Town of Paletwa Township in Chin State, according to the regional office of the WFP..."
Source/publisher: The Global New Light of Myanmar, 2020
2020-04-05
Date of entry/update: 2020-04-26
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Sub-title: Activists and journalists say decision to limit internet access in some parts of Rakhine is a violation of basic rights.
Description: " Continued fighting between Myanmar's military and the Arakan Army armed group has left several people dead in recent days as the government continues a clampdown on the western region. Activists and journalists have decried the internet blackout the government has imposed as part of the clampdown as a violation of human rights. More: Myanmar violence: Thousands displaced by fresh fighting Students injured in shelling at school in Myanmar's Rakhine state UN urged to suspend Myanmar return plan for Chin amid unrest Reports on Tuesday said at least 11 civilians, including five Muslim Rohingya, had been killed after being caught in the hostilities in Rakhine, a western state that is home to more than three million people. In a statement, four United Nations human rights experts also said "credible reports" showed that more than 1,000 people had been displaced in the 10 days up to February 18. The Myanmar Times also quoted the Rakhine Ethnic Congress as saying that more than 120,000 have evacuated beginning in November 2018..."
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Source/publisher: "Al Jazeera" (Qatar)
2020-03-05
Date of entry/update: 2020-03-05
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Description: "A high-level Government ceremony in Sittwe, Rakhine State, marked the end of the Education Post Flood Response which ran for four years following Cyclone Komen in 2015. Led by the Ministry of Education with the support of the Government of Japan and UNICEF, the programme benefitted over 300,000 children in Rakhine and Chin states, reaching some for the first time. A major achievement of the programme was the construction, repair and rehabilitation of 78 schools in Rakhine State with a provision of 37,350 roofing sheets to a further 263 schools in both Rakhine and Chin States. In addition, over 11,000 teachers were provided with training on a more inclusive approach to teaching and learning in the classrooms in both states. This included volunteer teachers from camps for the Internally Displaced Persons receiving for the first time the government-led Child Friendly School teacher training, bringing benefits to children’s learning at temporary learning classrooms in IDP camps. The Myanmar Sustainable Development Plan (MSDP) has inclusion and equity as one of the cross-cutting issues, and education is one of the priority areas. “Strong long-term partnership between the Ministry of Education and UNICEF, with both soft and hardware interventions, result in a holistic child friendly environment which goes far beyond just the construction of schools,” said the Director General of the Department of Basic Education, U Ko Lay Win. “The Rakhine State Government guidance and support to the Ministry of Education has ensured the safety and access of Government staff, UNICEF staff, and contractors involved in construction, monitoring and training activities, even in conflict afflicted areas.”..."
Source/publisher: UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) (Myanmar) via Reliefweb (New York)
2020-02-05
Date of entry/update: 2020-03-01
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Description: "Authorities in Myanmar have charged nine students with violating the country’s Peaceful Assembly Law after they staged a protest Sunday against the government’s suspension of internet services in restive Rakhine and Chin states, according to a report by RFA. The nine students organized and were part of a gathering of about 100 who demanded that the government reinstate mobile internet access in nine townships in Chin and Rakhine. Internet access was blocked in June of last year. In five of the nine townships, access was later reinstated, but then blocked again earlier this month, the report says. Under section 19 of the Peaceful Assembly Law, the students could face a sentence of up to three months, because they did not receive prior permission to hold the protest..."
Source/publisher: "Mizzima" (Myanmar)
2020-02-26
Date of entry/update: 2020-02-26
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Description: "Authorities in Myanmar Monday charged nine students with violating the country’s Peaceful Assembly Law after they staged a protest Sunday against the government’s suspension of internet services in restive Rakhine and Chin states, home to fighting between ethnic insurgents and Myanmar’s military. The nine students organized and were part of a gathering of about 100 who demanded that the government reinstate mobile internet access in nine townships in Chin and Rakhine. Internet access was blocked in June of last year. In five of the nine townships, access was later reinstated, but then blocked again earlier this month. Under section 19 of the Peaceful Assembly Law, the students could face a sentence of up to three months, because they did not receive prior permission to hold the protest. Sources told RFA’s Myanmar Service that police officers in plain clothes ventured onto the campus of Yangon University to make arrests. Six of the nine students who were charged were in custody, Reuters news agency quoted a participant in the protest as saying. One of the accused students, Myat Hein Tun, who is the secretary of the Rakhine Students Union at the University, told RFA that he disagreed with the manner in which the arrests were made..."
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Source/publisher: "RFA" (USA)
2020-02-24
Date of entry/update: 2020-02-25
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Sub-title: Independent UN human rights experts on Tuesday voiced grave concern over the killing and displacement of civilians in north-west Myanmar during the intensifying conflict between the military and an armed group, the Arakan Army, amid an information blackout in some parts of Rakhine and Chin states.
Description: "“Civilians, including children, continue to bear the brunt of this escalating conflict,”said the UN rights experts, adding that “we are especially fearful for them as violence has increased in the areas where an internet shutdown was recently re-imposed.” In a joint statement, the experts said that since the beginning of February, the Mayanmr Government had imposed restrictions, including a three-month suspension of mobile internet services, in Muslim-majority Rakhine state and in Chin state, the experts explained in a statement. Further, credible reports showed that fighting and possible use of heavy weapons occurred near ethnic Rakhine and Rohingya villages. “We are gravely concerned that children are being killed and injured, and that reports suggest weapons are being used indiscriminately, and precautions are not being taken to protect civilians and civilian objects such as schools and monasteries, in violation of international humanitarian law,” the experts said. On the one hand, civilians continue to experience severe difficulties in moving around the conflict-affected area, particularly for those in need of assistance. On the other hand, heavy restrictions on humanitarian access in Rakhine state remain and access for the media and human rights monitors is extremely limited. “We call on all parties to the conflict to abide by international humanitarian law and international human rights law and protect civilians at all times,” said the experts..."
Source/publisher: UN News
2020-02-20
Date of entry/update: 2020-02-20
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Topic: Chin State, conflict, Chin National Front, tradition, culture, ethnic issues, Paletwa
Sub-title: Formerly banned by the military, Chin National Day has been proudly celebrated since a bilateral ceasefire was signed in 2012, but efforts to observe it this year in southern Chin State have been thwarted by armed conflict.
Topic: Chin State, conflict, Chin National Front, tradition, culture, ethnic issues, Paletwa
Description: "THE NORTHERN Chin State town of Thantlang has been chosen as the venue for inaugurating the 72nd Chin National Day on February 20, which is celebrated throughout the mountainous state bordering India. Though the residents of Thantlang are likely excited to be hosting this year’s inaugural events, they were not originally supposed to play host. That honour was meant to go to the town of Paletwa, in far southern Chin bordering Rakhine State, but the state government decreed last October that the events be shifted to Thantlang because of fighting between the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army. This happened the last time Chin National Day was supposed to be inaugurated in Paletwa, in 2017, and for the same reason. The venues for the last two years were Falam and Hakha. After the Chin National Front and the Union government signed a bilateral ceasefire agreement in 2012, the venue for inaugurating the state-wide celebrations has been rotated to give each of the state’s nine main towns an opportunity to host..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Frontier Myanmar" (Myanmar)
2020-02-18
Date of entry/update: 2020-02-18
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Sub-title: Mobile internet blackout in four townships in Rakhine State among the world’s longest running
Description: "We, the 29 undersigned organizations, call on the Government of Myanmar to immediately lift restrictions on mobile internet communications in eight townships in Rakhine State and one township in Chin State. We are particularly concerned by the Government of Myanmar’s recent reinstatement of restrictions on mobile internet access in five townships on February 3, 2020, after lifting restrictions in those townships earlier. We call on the Government of Myanmar to release publicly the justification for the internet shutdown and all information related to the process by which these restrictions were imposed. The government first imposed restrictions on mobile internet communications on June 21, 2019 in Buthidaung, Kyauktaw, Maungdaw, Minbya, Mrauk-U, Myebon, Ponnagyun, and Rathedaung townships in Rakhine State and Paletwa Township in Chin State. On September 1, the government lifted restrictions in Buthidaung, Maungdaw, Myebon, Paletwa, and Rathedaung townships. On February 3, 2020, a telecommunications provider reported that the Myanmar Ministry of Transport and Communications ordered the reinstatement of the restrictions in those five townships. The company published a statement on its website saying that the Ministry referenced “security requirement and public interest” in issuing the order..."
Source/publisher: "Human Rights Watch" (USA)
2020-02-13
Date of entry/update: 2020-02-14
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Myanmar has reimposed an Internet shutdown in two conflict-torn western states, after partially lifting the blackout five months ago, a leading telecoms operator said late on Monday. Norwegian mobile operator Telenor Group said in a statement the transport and communications ministry had ordered for mobile Internet traffic to be stopped again in five townships in Rakhine and Chin states for three months. A months-long Internet blackout in four Rakhine townships - Maungdaw, Buthidaung, Rathedaung, and Myebon - and one in Chin state had been lifted in September amid peace talks seeking to end clashes between government troops and ethnic insurgents. Officials cited "security requirements and public interest" for the reinstatement, Telenor said, adding that four other townships remain under a blackout first imposed in June last year. Tun Tun Nyi, a Myanmar military spokesman, said the army was unaware of the shutdown. "We don't know and we haven't heard about it," he told Reuters by phone on Tuesday..."
Source/publisher: "Reuters" (UK) via "CNA" ( Singapore)
2020-02-04
Date of entry/update: 2020-02-05
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Sub-title: The Arakan Army (AA) has launched an investigation over the alleged rape of a Chin woman by one of its fighters in Paletwa Township in Chin State, a spokesperson for the ethnic armed group said on Sunday.
Description: "Khaing Thu Kha, spokesperson of AA, said the probe against the alleged sexual abuse is being carried out but did not provide additional details. “We are investigating the case. We will take harsh actions if our members really abused villagers and women like what they claimed,” he said. “We will go to the village and meet with the community leaders to find out whether what they said is correct or not,” he said, adding a statement will be issued as soon as the investigation is completed. Aside from the alleged rape of a Chin woman, the Arakan Army fighters were also accused of abducting a school headmaster and two village officials in Paletwa who tried to stop them from abducting a young Chin woman on Tuesday. The three captives were later found dead in the forest in the forest between Inn Kho Wa village and Sein Sin village, according to the Khumi Affairs Coordination Council, a local civil society group, in a statement issued Saturday. Khaing Thu Kha expressed doubt about the truthfulness of the statement, saying the Tatmadaw appears to be creating racial problem between Rakhine and Chin ethnic people. Colonel Win Zaw Oo, head of Western Command, said the actions of the Arakan Army in Paletwa is not acceptable and will be dealt with without delay. “They are brash. We are carrying out clearance operation. Now we’ve heard that AA has blocked Kyee Lay village and we will deal with this matter,” he told The Myanmar Times. According to local civil society groups in Chin, the AA is still holding captive Amyotha Hluttaw (Upper House) legislator U Hwei Tin and 15 other Chin ethnic people..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Myanmar Times" (Myanmar)
2020-01-12
Date of entry/update: 2020-01-19
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "AN airport, the first for the Chin State in western Myanmar, is expected to start operations in June this year. The Surbung airport in Falam will provide access to the Chin state which is presently only accessible by road, according to The Irrawaddy. Chin State Chief Minister Salai Lian Luai said the northern part of the state is gradually attracting more visitors, local and foreigners, but transportation remains desirable. This was why the government plans to make the state more accessible and targets to open the airport by mid-year, he said. The new link will also enable local residents to travel to other parts of the country more easily, Lian Luai said, adding that the construction of the airport is reportedly now 75 per cent complete. The airport is being built on a 522-hectare plot in Falam. It will have a 1,830-meter-long and 30-meter-wide runway designed to handle takeoffs and touchdowns of ART-72 airliners. The government allocated 37 billion kyat (RM103 million) to complete the airport, Lian Luai added. The project was proposed in 2013 and construction began in 2015. The airport is situated in the Surbung mountain range at an altitude of 1,830m above sea level. “In the Chin State, the rainy season is longer and hot and cold seasons are shorter, so we need to be careful about clouds and fog in the rainy season. "Similarly, we need to be careful about smoke from slash-and-burn farming in the hot season, so we have to purchase equipment to help the planes see through them. That’s why there are delays,” Lian Luai said..."
Source/publisher: "New Straits Times" (Malaysia)
2019-01-05
Date of entry/update: 2020-01-05
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Sub-title: A member of an armed group belonging to Manipur’s Meitei community is accused of killing a popular schoolteacher in Tonzang.
Description: "Tedim township in Myanmar’s Chin state, which borders the northeastern states of Mizoram and Manipur, witnessed a huge rally of residents on November 30, demanding that the country’s army remove the camps of the armed groups belonging to Manipur’s Meitei community, and the cadres be expelled from their area. The rally, jointly organised by 28 Zomi civil society groups including the Zomi Student and Youth Organisation (ZSYO), had over 500 protesters, who gathered to demand justice for the killing of a popular female school teacher in Tonzang area on November 17 night by a member of a Meitei armed group. Locals said that the group has set up bases in the area since 2004, after a raid by the Indian Army led it to vacate its camps in Sajik Tampak in Manipur’s Chandel district. It is believed that at least six armed groups under the umbrella group CORCOM has been taking shelter in the area. According to a report in The Irrawaddy, “A Tonzang resident, who requested not to be named, said that about 40 members of a Meitei insurgent group are living in Tonzang Town and estimated that 1,500 Meitei insurgents are living in the jungle.” The militant who allegedly shot dead 27-year-old Dim Lun Mang, an ethnic Chin and a teacher at the Tuival Zaang village primary school in Tonzang, has been identified as M. Isaba Binod from Imphal (Manipur). According to the area’s residents, he shot at her after she complained that he was playing music too loudly and demanded that it be stopped at once..."
Source/publisher: "The Wire"
2019-12-05
Date of entry/update: 2019-12-05
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Myanmar is building an airport in the far-flung mountainous Falam township of Chin state to bring more tourists to the region. the Department of Civil Aviation has said. The authorities are using a state budget of 19.93 billion kyats (13.28 million U.S. dollars) for the first phase of the Surbung Airport project, according to the Department of Civil Aviation late on Monday. Runways, terminals and navigation facilities are being built and 58.3 percent of the airport construction work are said to have been completed. The airport runway extends 1,800 meters in length and 30 meters in width. It is hard for people to move within the state due to the lack of reliable transport infrastructure and in the monsoon season, landslide and floods make it almost impossible to travel. Chin state, having nine townships, remains one of the least developed in Myanmar due to a lack of proper transport and infrastructure..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Xinhua" (China)
2019-11-26
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-26
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Since the end of 2018, there has been a significant upsurge in violence in Rakhine State after armed conflict broke out between the Arakan Army (AA) and the Myanmar Military. The violence escalated following attacks by the AA against military sites in January 2019 and subsequent counter-attacks by the Myanmar Military. The conflict has led to civilian casualties and the destruction of property that has spread to nine townships of Rakhine State (Buthidaung, Kyauktaw, Maungdaw, Minbya, Mrauk-U, Myebon, Pauktaw, Ponnagyun, Rathedaung) and Paletwa Township in neighboring Chin State. Ann and Kyaukphyu townships have been affected at certain points. The conflict has led to a significant displacement of people, some for extended amounts of time and some for short periods, with people fleeing violence subsequently returning to their homes within a few days or weeks. While fighting has occurred largely in rural areas and remote locations, key transport routes and urban and semi-urban areas have also been impacted. Tens of thousands of civilians living in villages have been caught in the middle of intense armed conflict..."
Source/publisher: OCHA (New York), UNHCH (Geneva) via Reliefweb (USA)
2019-11-01
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-23
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
Format : pdf
Size: 351.77 KB (8 pages)
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Topic: Rakhine, Chin State, Arakan Army,Tatmadaw, IDPs, United Nations, Yanghee Leetorture
Topic: Rakhine, Chin State, Arakan Army,Tatmadaw, IDPs, United Nations, Yanghee Leetorture
Description: "Tens of thousands of people have been displaced across Myanmar's Rakhine and Chin states this year, as the military battles the Arakan Army, a UN rights expert said Monday. "Up to 65,000 people have been displaced by the conflict across northern Rakhine and southern Chin States since January," said Ms Yanghee Lee, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the rights situation in Myanmar. Myanmar's army has deployed thousands of troops there in recent months to try to crush the AA, which is fighting for more autonomy for ethnic Rakhine. Presenting an update on the situation in Myanmar to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Lee pointed out that the military had been "using helicopter gunships against the Arakan Army." "Both sides are accused of indiscriminate use of heavy artillery fire, gunfire and landmines in civilian areas," she said. At the same time, humanitarian access "remains heavily restricted by the state government in conflict-affected townships, significantly depriving at least 100,000 people of assistance and basic services." And "imposed curfews are preventing people from reaching livelihoods, medical treatment and safe passage," she warned. Lee said in recent months she had continued to receive reports of civilians, including children, being killed, either because they were targeted or hit with indiscriminate fire in the region..."
Source/publisher: "Frontier Myanmar" (Myanmar) via AFP
2019-09-17
Date of entry/update: 2019-09-17
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: " This History Thread is a brief sketch of the #MilitaryHistory of the mountain homeland of people known as #Chin in Burma/Myanmar. Some, particularly #Zomi of northern #ChinState prefer their local ethnic name. Terms used in this thread include historic designations. Cultural identity transcending current borders relates peoples of NE India (including Mizoram, some of Manipur), certain Bangladesh highlanders and peoples of Myanmar/Burma’s Chin State plus some in Sagaing Div. and N. Rakhine St. Their region is often called Zoland or Zoram. People who would become known as Zomi or as Chin migrated south, settled Chindwin valleys, then uplands pre-1000 AD. Mountains were protective fortress but also fragmentation factor. Clans often raided each other, particularly in 1500s-1600s, pushing some groups west or south..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Project Maje"
2019-01-16
Date of entry/update: 2019-09-02
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
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Description: "This History Thread is about refugee diaspora of people from #Chin State Burma/Myanmar. Their ethnicity often identified as “Chin.” Some, particularly #Zomi of northern #ChinState prefer local ethnic name. Intl refugee agencies mostly use “Chin” & sometimes “Zo” designations. Chin State is one of the most isolated, economically marginalized regions of Burma/Myanmar. Borders India and Bangladesh. Cultural identity transcending current borders relates to ethnic groups in NE India, Bangladesh hills; also some peoples of Sagaing Div. and N. Rakhine St. Armed resistance to Burma/Myanmar military rule sporadic in Chin St. but increasing Tatmadaw (Myanmar army) occupation since early 1990s. Refugees fled forced labor, persecution of Christians. Their escape routes aren’t always directly across 1 border. http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs/Western_Front.htm …."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Project Maje"
2019-02-20
Date of entry/update: 2019-09-02
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi should immediately lift an internet blackout that the government has imposed for more than one month in western Myanmar, Fortify Rights said today. On June 21, the government ordered the shutdown of internet services in nine townships—eight in Rakhine State and one in Chin State—severely impeding humanitarian aid, business, media access, and human rights monitoring. “We can’t move anywhere and now we can’t communicate with anyone,” a Rohingya resident in Maungdaw Township told Fortify Rights. “We are in total darkness.” “The civilian government imposed this blackout, and it can lift it,” said Matthew Smith, Chief Executive Officer of Fortify Rights. “This shutdown is happening in a context of ongoing genocide against Rohingya and war crimes against Rakhine, and even if it were intended to target militants, it’s egregiously disproportionate, affecting an estimated one million civilians for nearly a month.” The Myanmar Ministry of Transport and Communications directed all mobile phone operators in Myanmar to disable internet services in Ponnangyun, Kyauktaw, Maungdaw, Buthidaung, Rathedaung, Mrauk-U, Minbya, and Myebon townships in Rakhine State, and Paletwa township in Chin State. The Myanmar military and Arakan Army are fighting in these areas, and many of the areas are sites of previous military-led attacks against Rohingya civilians. A local aid worker in northern Rakhine State who works for an international non-governmental organization told Fortify Rights: “We have no access to information…Providing aid without internet is very difficult. We cannot share information and communicate effectively with the headquarters or other offices to deliver aid.” The length of this shutdown is one of the world’s longest ever and is disproportionately affecting civilians and their protection, Fortify Rights said. A vague provision of the 2013 Telecommunications Law permits the suspension of internet services “when an emergency situation arises” and “for public interest.”..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Progressive Voice" via Fortify Rights
2019-07-22
Date of entry/update: 2019-08-06
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is implementing a project entitled “Sustainable Cropland and forest management in priority agro-ecosystems of Myanmar (SLM-GEF)” in coordination with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation (MoNREC) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation (MoALI) with funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF). AVSI Foundation has been contracted to develop the National Farmer Field School (FFS) curriculum and FFS Handbook. AVSI Foundation has developed a FFS curriculum/module on climate smart agriculture (CSA) techniques/practices for each selected agricultural crop and for each of the three agro-ecological zones incorporating solutions to the major problems identified during the need assessments and also considering the findings of value chain analysis. The Farmer Field School (FFS) is a learning process whereby a group of farmers come together and engage in a process of hands-on field-based learning process over a season/ production cycle. FFS is a time-bound learning by doing activity with a beginning and an end and aims to solve the problems related to cultivating crops. FFS is a platform for holistic learning, and should address issues and aspects that directly or indirectly contribute to the performance of the local farming system, even if these issues are not agriculture-based as such. All FFS programmes need to integrate programming on gender equality and nutrition concerns in FFS development. Gender norms, roles and customs are very relevant for FFS implementation such as assessment and targeting of the specific needs of male and female farmers, selection and gender awareness of facilitators, and composition of an FFS group (with adequate representation of women and girls) and targeting the specific needs and priorities of men and women. This module of FFS has been designed to increase agricultural productivity of the priority crops in Chin State (Mindat and Kanpetlet Townships) by addressing the challenges identified during the needs assessments based on knowledge systems and practices by FAO with support of AVSI as a Service Provider. During the need assessment cultural barriers for FFS implementation, gender norms, traditions, etc. were considered. Generally, it’s been observed that farmers, both men and women, have low knowledge of climate smart agriculture (CSA). The learning objectives of the proposed FFS modules are to: Empower farmers (both men and women) with knowledge and skills to improve the productivity of their main crops. • Sharpen the farmers’ ability to make critical and informed decisions that render their farming profitable and climate-smart for both male and female farmers. • To sensitize farmers in new ways of thinking and solve problems linked to climate changes. • Help farmers learn how to organize themselves and their communities, with a focus on women and girls..."
Source/publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
2019-01-01
Date of entry/update: 2019-06-17
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 319.43 KB
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Description: "Chin State in western Burma borders India and Bangladesh and, though receiving little attention from international media or rights groups, continues, like much of the rest of Burma, to suffer the effects of poor governance and on-going conflict. Chin Free Burma Ranger teams have reported incidents of civilian landmine victims and displacement from fighting in just the last two months. On 20 September Mrs. Daw Phit Leik (28) of Nga Tein Village, Paletwah Township, and five friends went into the jungle to pick vegetables. Whilst doing so, she stepped on a mine and was killed. An 18-year old woman, Miss Tein Tin, was also injured by the blast, according to Chin Rangers. On 29 Oct, at 11:00 a.m., Mr. U Hwe Htan, aged 35 and the father of six from Rat Chaung Village, Paletwah Township, stepped on a mine and was severely hurt. He was taken to Paletwah Hospital, but the extent of his injuries means that he will need to transfer to the main hospital in Sittwe..."
Source/publisher: Free Burma Rangers
2018-11-09
Date of entry/update: 2018-12-13
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: Abstract:- Background: "The Chin State of Burma (also known as Myanmar) is an isolated ethnic minority area with poor health outcomes and reports of food insecurity and human rights violations. We report on a population-based assessment of health and human rights in Chin State. We sought to quantify reported human rights violations in Chin State and associations between these reported violations and health status at the household level. Methods and Findings Multistaged household cluster sampling was done. Heads of household were interviewed on demographics, access to health care, health status, food insecurity, forced displacement, forced labor, and other human rights violations during the preceding 12 months. Ratios of the prevalence of household hunger comparing exposed and unexposed to each reported violation were estimated using binomial regression, and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were constructed. Multivariate models were done to adjust for possible confounders. Overall, 91.9% of households (95% CI 89.7%?94.1%) reported forced labor in the past 12 months. Forty-three percent of households met FANTA-2 (Food and Nutrition Technical Assistance II project) definitions for moderate to severe household hunger. Common violations reported were food theft, livestock theft or killing, forced displacement, beatings and torture, detentions, disappearances, and religious and ethnic persecution. Self reporting of multiple rights abuses was independently associated with household hunger. Conclusions Our findings indicate widespread self-reports of human rights violations. The nature and extent of these violations may warrant investigation by the United Nations or International Criminal Court..."
Creator/author: Richard Sollom, Adam K. Richards, Parveen Parmar, Luke C. Mullany, Salai Bawi Lian, Vincent Iacopino, Chris Beyrer
Source/publisher: PLOS Medicine
2011-02-08
Date of entry/update: 2016-11-05
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: Highlights: • Cyclone Komen made landfall in Myanmar at the end of July 2015 causing extensive flooding to agricultural land, which remained submerged in some areas until September. This caused severe localized losses to the 2015 monsoon season crops, especially p addy, in Chin, Rakhine, Ayeyarwaddy, Yangon, Sagaing and parts of Bago. However, once the water receded, a large portion of the flooded areas with paddy was replanted. Overall, the amount of irreversible damage was limited. • At 27.5 million tonnes, the aggregate national production of paddy, the country?s staple food, in 2015 (monsoon season 2015 and ongoing 2015 secondary season) would be 3 percent below the 2014 crop and 2 percent down from the average of the past three - years. • At subnational level, however, cereal production and livelihood of farming households and communities in remote areas, in particular Chin and Rakhine, which concentrate highly vulnerable populations with little resilience and low agricultural productivity, did not recover fully as in other areas affected by the flooding. These populations may face severe food shortages in the coming months and require relief assistance. • Livestock and fisheries were affected by the flooding in localized areas with losses of cattle, buffalo, sheep, goats, pigs and poultry, and damage to fish and shrimp farms, resulting in reduced animal protein intake in the most affected areas. • The country is a net exporter of rice and the 2015 paddy production, similar to previous years, will exceed domestic requirements, but tighter domestic supplies in marketing year 2015/16 (October/September) are expected to further underpin already high rice prices, raising concerns about food access by most vulnerable sections of the population. • Prices of rice reached record levels in August and September 2015, reflecting strong depreciation of the Kyat, increasing rice exports and concerns about the damage to paddy crop. Domestic rice prices declined with the harvest between October and December 2015 but remained at high levels. In February 2016, rice prices averaged 37 percent higher than a year earlier. • For the majority of farming households, the main impact of the July flooding was related to the increased costs for replanting and the delayed harvest. Households depending primarily upon day labour, and especially non-skilled day labour, re main among the most vulnerable. They faced a gap in wages during August and have difficulties in obtaining credit. • The July flooding was perceived to have moderate impact on children?s nutritional status and little impact on infant and young children feeding practices. • In view of the country?s adequate rice availabilities and generally well-functioning domestic markets, the Mission recommends that any eventual food assistance needs to be provided in the form of cash and/ or vouchers. • To cover immediate agricultural needs following the 2015 flooding, the Mission recommends the distribution of seeds for the next monsoon planting season; as well as water and pest-resistant storage containers to protect farmer?s seeds, along with drying nets and post-harvest equipment in the most affected areas. In Rakhine, Sagaing and Ayeyarwaddy, recording the highest livestock losses, urgent restocking of livestock is required to avoid a further fall in animal protein intake; while the rebuilding of fishing gear and boats and the rehabilitation of fish ponds is also needed in the most affected Rakhine State."
Creator/author: Swithun Goodbody, Guljahan Kurbanova, Cristina Coslet, Aaron Wise, Nuria Branders, Sophie Goudet
Source/publisher: FAO, WFP
2016-03-16
Date of entry/update: 2016-03-18
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 1.22 MB
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Description: Executive Summary: "The State of Local Governance: Trends in Chin - UNDP Myanmar 2014 This report presents the findings from the Local Governance Mapping conducted in Chin State between December 2013 and January 2014. Sharing a long northern border with India and its western front with Bangladesh, Chin State is the poorest among Myanmar?s state/regions, and among its most diverse. Chin State has a unique demographic composition, with six main ethnic groups (Asho, Cho, Khum, Laimi, Mizo and Zomi) and dozens of sub-groups represented in this majority-Chin, predominantly Christian area of the country. With an estimated population of 465,000 people, Chin State is the second smallest (by population size) of all states/regions. Widespread poverty, low population density, challenging mountainous terrain and an underdeveloped infrastructure are all severe barriers for development. The ceasefire agreement of 2012 between the Government of Myanmar (GoM) and the Chin National Front (CNF), a non-state armed group, has removed what was previously a serious bottleneck for development. Recognising the immense challenges faced by Chin State, the union government has allocated additional investment funds to the tune of Ks 2 billion in addition to around Ks 1 billion already allocated to each of the states/regions for regional development and poverty reduction in 2013-14.1 For the Local Governance Mapping in Chin State, three townships in the north (Thantlang, Falam and Tonzang) and three townships in the south (Mindat, Matupi and Paletwa) were selected. 576 respondents from 12 villages across these six townships were asked about their perceptions and experiences related to local governance using a Citizens? Report Card (CRC).2 Half (49%) of citizens interviewed were between 18-40 years of age. Reflecting the geographic dynamics of Chin State, the majority of respondents (67%) lived in rural areas. The vast majority (91%) of those interviewed were of Chin ethnicity, while 8% of respondents originated from Rakhine. Alongside the opinions of the people, multi-stakeholder dialogues at the community (Community Dialogues (CD)) and township (Government Self Assessments (GSA)) levels, and primary research on the functioning of local governance in three townships (Thantlang, Tonzang and Mindat), informed the findings from the Local Governance Mapping exercise, which are structured along the five core principles of good local governance. These form the basis of the mapping framework and methodology adopted in Myanmar, viz. effectiveness and efficiency; transparency and rule of law; accountability; participation; and, equity. In addition, the mapping exercise has also yielded some significant ?process” results, which are also highlighted below."
Source/publisher: UNDP Myanmar
2014-00-00
Date of entry/update: 2016-02-02
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 1.89 MB
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Description: Introduction: "Last summer, I met a young Chin exile who came back from Australia to Yangon. He said he returns home once a year to do development in his village in Tedim Township in northern Chin State. According to this young man, although he experienced challenges in Malaysia as an exile before he reached the safe third country, he has now graduated in Australia and got a good job. So he wants to help his native villagers for their livelihood security. Thus, he set up a women group of weavers in five villages nearby his village to resume traditional textile weaving. He initiated financial support to buy them 10 wooden frame looms and all the required materials for weaving. He added ?We Chin people exiles today are now escape from poverty and I am planning to do development program in my region to end the poverty.” He continued, ?Currently, vision of many exile Chin people today is supporting any kind of development in their native villages individually or collectively.” In this paper, I will elaborate Chin people today should keep migrating out to escape from the multiple hardships in their native land so that not only for their better life but also they are able to support the remaining family by remittance and do development in their region as well.".....Paper delivered at the International Conference on Burma/Myanmar Studies: Burma/Myanmar in Transition: Connectivity, Changes and Challenges: University Academic Service Centre (UNISERV), Chiang Mai University, Thailand, 24-­26 July 2015.
Creator/author: Kyin Lam Man
Source/publisher: International Conference on Burma/Myanmar Studies: Burma/Myanmar in Transition: Connectivity, Changes and Challenges: University Academic Service Centre (UNISERV), Chiang Mai University, Thailand, 24-­26 July 2015
2015-07-26
Date of entry/update: 2015-08-27
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 185.95 KB
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Description: Abstract: "Chin State is situated in the Western sector of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, the 13, 907 square miles Chin State is home to Chins. In Myanmar, they predominantly inhabit Chin State, which is located in the Northwest of the country, the bordering Bangladesh to the west and India to the north. The Chin State is divided into two divisions. Northern and Southern During the British Colonial period, the Chin State was under. A Socio-­‐economic study of Falam Township was carried out in 2014. A structured questionnaire was used to collect information. A northern sample of 30 households in 6 villages was selected. A house to house visit was made by 2 interviewers. There are many collections of the historical and socio-­‐cultural evidences of the villages. Out of these villages, the name of the village, Parthe, is explained briefly in this paper.".....Paper delivered at the International Conference on Burma/Myanmar Studies: Burma/Myanmar in Transition: Connectivity, Changes and Challenges: University Academic Service Centre (UNISERV), Chiang Mai University, Thailand, 24-­26 July 2015.
Creator/author: Khin Saw New
Source/publisher: International Conference on Burma/Myanmar Studies: Burma/Myanmar in Transition: Connectivity, Changes and Challenges: University Academic Service Centre (UNISERV), Chiang Mai University, Thailand, 24-­26 July 2015
2015-07-26
Date of entry/update: 2015-08-20
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 176.17 KB
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