Armed conflict in Kachin State - human rights violations

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Websites/Multiple Documents

Description: Link to the Kachin area of the OBL Human Rights section
Source/publisher: Online Burma/Myanmar Library
Date of entry/update: 2012-02-08
Grouping: Websites/Multiple Documents
Language: English
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Description: "Kachin State Hpakant Township July 1 at 1045 hrs., ten 81mm mortar rounds fired from Nam Ya Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) (12) Base to the sides of Hkrai Run, Gawlu Yang gold mining area, in Hpakant Township. At 1625 hrs., Burma army soldiers from Kamaing Byuha Base (Tactical Base) indiscriminately fired a mortar round toward Dam. July 2 at 1450 hrs., Nam Ya LIB (12) fired 18 82mm mortar rounds to the side of Head of Gawlu Yang village, in Hpakant Township. July 2 at 2:50 p.m., Nam Ya LIB (12) fired mortar rounds indiscriminately and one of the grenades landed on a compound in the home of Deacon Hpukawn Ze Naw, Kumtsai Zup village. For that, the soldiers of the Burmese army from the Nam Ya base sent 100,000 kyats to the family in whose yard a shell was landed – through Mr. Gum Maw Awng and his friends, but the family did not accept the money and told them instead not to fire mortars into the village next time, in Hpakant Township. July 4 at 1500 hrs., Nam Ya LIB (12) fired four 82mm rounds to Kumtsai village, in Hpakant Township. At 1220 hrs., Kamai Byuha Base fired one mortar round to the side of Gawng Hka. July 7 at 0650 hrs., the combined troops numbering around 50 soldiers from LIB (116) and Infantry Battalion (IB) (42) coming from Kasen Bum were attacked with mines along Namkawn Rung, Seng Awng village by Kachin Independence Army (KIA) soldiers from 6th Battalion, leaving many Burma Amry soldiers killed or injured. The injured were sent to Hpakant hospital. July 14, around 70 combined Burma Army soldiers led by IB (42) Commander, Maj. Zaw Myo Than and Maj. San Aung from LIB (116) operating along a crop field behind Gatnoi village clashed with KIA soldiers from 11th Battalion at Microwave Bum (KJ 520 372) between Gawlu Yang and Hkumtsai Zup village, Hpakant Township. July 15 between 0535-0542 hrs., the clash erupted again when KIA soldiers carried out a clearance operation at the site. Nam Ya LIB (12) backed by 60mm mortar fire during the fighting that a shell landed in the house of Zahkung Zau Seng, injuring five civilians: Maji La Ja, Ms. Hpauyu Hkawn Nu, Hpaula Dut La (in serious condition), Hpaula Kai and Ms. Marip Myu Htoi Tsin, and another shell landed in the house of Mr. Lamwi Naw Jat, at Seng Hpra village, killing one pig. July 15 between 0930-0955 hrs., the fighting continued between around 70 combined Burma Army soldiers and KIA’s militia along the uphill of Hkumtsai Zup Church (KJ 528 266). July 16 at 1540 hrs., Nam Ya LIB (12) fired 3 82mm mortar rounds toward Manaw Maw. At 155o hrs., Burma Army soldiers arriving along Kachin Baptist Convention (KBC) Worship Hill, Hkutsai Zup village fired 4 60mm rounds to the side of Microwave Bum, in Hpakant Township. July 19 at 1300 hrs., Nam Ya LIB (12) Base fired three 82mm mortar rounds to the side of Hkumtsai Zup, in Hpakant Township. July 22 at 0656 hrs., two KIA soldiers from 44th Battalion attacked Burma Army checkpoint at Kamaing – Lawa road junction with two remote mines, leaving two Burma Army soldiers dead and two wounded, in Hpakant Township. Mansi, Monyin, Putao, Danai/Tanai Townships July 2 between 1540-1600 hrs., around 50 combined Burma Army soldiers from IB (250) and LIB (424) coming from Banggaw, Manlep were attacked with mines at Hpumlum Hkyet between Hkachyang Hku and Maji Gung, by KIA soldiers from 27th Battalion, injuring around ten Burma Army soldiers, in Mansi Township. July 21 at 0820 hrs., around 20 Burma Army soldiers from IB (276) coming on foot from Loihkam Bum were attacked with a mine by KIA soldiers from 12th Battalion, leaving five (BA) soldiers wounded. The Burma Army soldiers reacted by firing 79mm and small arms in all directions, in Mansi Township. July 21 at 1030 hrs., People’s Defense Force (PDF) attacked Burma Army soldiers on a truck near Lwan Hkwa village between Naba and Katha, in Monyin Township. July 23, around 80 Burma Army soldiers from LIB (309) operating on foot from Katha were attacked with a mine by KIA soldiers and PDF, leaving five Burma Army dead and five wounded, in Monyin Township. July 12 at 2100 hrs., KIA soldiers from 7th Battalion fired five M-79 grenade launchers at Sumpyi Yang IB (137) Base (LJ 656 734), Putao Township. July 5 at 2038 hrs., IB (297) stationed at Jahtu Zup fired six mortar rounds to the side of KIA 14th Battalion, in Danai Township. Momauk Township July 2 at 0935 hrs., KIA soldiers from 19th Battalion attacked around 100 Burma Army soldiers operating at Mansai road junction with a mine between Loi Mawk and Dung Hung, injuring 4 or 5 soldiers. Burma Army soldiers reacted by firing in the vicinity, which lasted 10 minutes, resulting in five civilians (including a 2-year-old child) wounded, in Momauk Township. A 2-year-old child was sent to Myitkyina hospital due to a serious condition, while the four were sent to Dawhpum Yang hospital. July 10 at 0610 hrs., KIA soldiers from 15th Battalion detonated an IED at Burma Army soldiers coming from Numlang between Ta Li and Taw Be, in Momauk Township. Burma Army soldiers reacted by indiscriminate fire: small arms and mortars nearby. July 10 between 1125-1135 hrs., Kunglaw LIB (387) Base fired 11 120mm mortar rounds toward KIA 25th Battalion area, in Momauk Township. At 1932 hrs., a jet flew over Salawng Kawng and Myo Tit. July 11 at 2145 hrs., 15 mortar/artillery rounds were fired: from LIB (387) to the side of Salawng Kawng, from LIB (438) and IB (142) to the sides of KIA 19th, 25th and 30th Battalion areas. One shell fired from IB (142) Base landed on a cowshed of Khin Maung Nyut from Dawhpum Yang village which killed four cows, in Momauk Township. July 12 at 0850 hrs., KIA’s militiamen attacked with two mines at a 4×4 truck carrying 8 Armed Policemen from No.30 Police Station en route to Yuma village from Hpakant, leaving two policemen wounded. The incident took place in front of Yuma School. Another 4×4 car carrying 6 policemen, going to check the incident, were detonated a mine at 1315 hrs. too. July 23 at 1324 hrs., KIA soldiers from 15th Battalion attacked around 20 Bumra Army soldiers coming from Hka Wan Bang by a truck and five motorcycles with two mines – at Alen Kawng village, Koit Tit road (LG 333 824), leaving one soldier on motorcycle wounded, in Momauk Township. July 23 between 1852-2025 hrs., Burma Army soldiers stationed at Hpunpyen Bum stepped on a landmine on the way to fetch water. In retaliation, they fired 6 mortar rounds from Hkangkai Bum toward Shang Htung Bum, 3 rounds from Bumre toward a KIA post under GHQ command, in Momauk Township. Waingmaw Township July 2 at 1209 hrs., IB (58) fired three 105mm howitzers toward Machyang Bum behind Washawng village, in Waimaw Township. July 8 at 2008 hrs., KIA soldiers from 3rd Battalion attacked Shwe Nyaung Pin LIB (321) Base with 60mm mortar rounds and grenade launchers, in Waimaw Township. July 11 between 2000-2010 hrs., KIA soldiers from 3rd Battalion attacked Burma Army’s Aung Mye Thit Bridge Post, seizing two M-22 rifles along with over 500 bullets and other items. The (KIA) soldiers set fire to their (BA) camps, in Waimaw Township. July 11 at 2125 hrs., IB (58) Base fired two 105mm howitzers to the side of Nang Zaw Yang, in Waimaw Township. July 21 at 0845 hrs., three KIA soldiers laid a mine inside the checkpoint, Hka Ya road junction wherein Burma Army soldiers from IB (77), under LID (88) sat during the day and withdrew at night. A mine was detonated when the soldiers sat, leaving two dead and three others wounded, in Waimaw Township. July 21 at 1930 hrs., IB (58) fired four 105mm howitzers to the side of Nang Zaw Yang front line area, in Waimaw Township. Shwegu Township July 4 between 2300-2310 hrs., the clash broke out when the combined forces from 12th Battalion and PDF attacked around 30 Burma Army soldiers under LID (88) taking security for underground communication cable at head of Ngabat Gyi village and around 30 policemen stationed Shwegu Quarter (3) Police Station, in Shwegu Township. July 7 between 0700-0730 hrs., the fighting broke out when KIA soldiers from 5th Battalion fired at three boats carrying around 60 Burma Army soldiers at Gaugwi Hka and Nambu Hka river intersection, in Shwegu Township. July 9 at 1450 hrs., four jets from Myitkyina dropped two bombs around Chyauk Gyi, Myo Hla, in Shwegu Township. July 13, around 50 Burma Army soldiers under LID (88) appearing at Ta Ya Kung, Chyauk Ji from Uk Tsi village were attacked with a remote mine, killing one Burma Army soldier and injuring 6 others, in Shwegu Township. Shan State Muse Township July 4 at 1720 hrs., the fighting broke out when around 100 Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) soldiers from No.311 Brigade fired at around 30 Burma Army soldiers from LIB (547) in a truck heading to Loi Ngu from Hpawng Seng – near Loi Ngu village (MG 459 644), in Muse Township. July 5 between 1240-1320 hrs., Burma Army Base at Hpawng Seng fired four 81mm rounds to the side of Loi Ngu Bum where MNDAA soldiers stationed, in Muse Township. July 7 at 0820 hrs., around 100 MNDAA soldiers from 311th Brigade attacked Hpawng Seng Base (MG 432 660) where an estimated 100 Burma Army soldiers from LIB (419) stationed, in Muse Township. July 11 between 1210-1630 hrs., around 40 Burma Army soldiers under LID (99) carried out offensive toward Hpawng Seng Udang Bum (MG 455 622) where MNDAA 304th Battalion under 311th Brigade stationed, leaving 8 Burma Army soldiers dead, in Muse Township. Between 1830-1930 hrs., (BA) soldiers continuously fired mortar rounds to the mountain where MNDAA soldiers were stationed. July 12 at 1800 hrs., there was fighting between MNDAA soldiers and LIB (575) at Hpawng Seng Lashap village, in Muse Township. July 13 at 0925 hrs., there was fighting between MNDAA soldiers and Burma Army soldiers of an unknown unit between Man Pying village and Nawn Hpai village, in Muse Township. July 18 between 1401-1320 hrs., the clash broke out when KIA soldiers from 36th Battalion fired at around 100 Burma Army soldiers under Light Infantry Division (LID) (99) coming on foot from Da Lung – Manjak Pa (MG 011 401), in Muse Township. July 23 between 1920-1935 hrs., around 40 Burma Army soldiers from LIB (419) coming on foot from Hpaikawng clashed with MNDAA soldiers from 505th Battalion, 511th Brigade at Kawng Wai road junction (MG 136 648), in Muse Township. Kutkai Township July 4 at 0810 hrs., around 50 Burma Army soldiers under LID (99) heading to Man Pyawng Bum from Nam Hpalum were attacked at the coordinates: LG 872 029 between Kawng Lim and Shu Khin Tha by KIA soldiers from 29th Battalion in Kutkai Township. July 6 at 0955 hrs., an estimated 70 Burma Army soldiers under LID (99) coming from Manje were attacked with four mines at Kawng Lim and Bang Hpik road junction (MG 193 182) by MNDAA No.m501 Unit, in Kutkai Township. July 9 at 1013 hrs., an estimated 100 Burma Army soldiers of an unknown unit coming from Nam Ba Chi village were attacked with a mine by KIA soldiers from 39th Battalion, in Kutkai Township. July 15 between 0810-0930 hrs., around 110 Burma Army soldiers from IB (290) coming from Manje clashed with around 200 of combined soldiers of MNDAA, AA and KIA at Loi Lem Bum (MG 206 146), in Kutkai Township. Burma Army soldiers from Mung Ji Base backed by 105mm fire. July 15 at 1200 hrs., Namhpakka IB (123) Base fired two mortar rounds to the side of Bang Gai Ja Maw (gold mining area), in Kutkai Township. July 15 at 1400 hrs., around 80 Burma Army soldiers under LID (99) coming from Nam Jarap clashed with around 60 MNDAA soldiers from No.202 Unit at Huli Bum Hpaleng road junction (MF 151 400), in Kutkai Township. July 18 between 1300-1320 hrs., the fighting broke out when around 130 Burma Army soldiers under LID (99) appeared at Man Jang Pa (MG 011 401) where KIA soldiers from 36th Battalion stayed. July 19 at 0950 hrs., the fighting broke out when Burma Army soldiers from LID (99) carried out an offensive toward Man Jang Bum (MG 020 391), in Kutkai Township. July 19 between 0924-1030 hrs., there was fighting between KIA soldiers from 10th Brigade and around 40 Burma Army soldiers from LIB (109) – at Bang Ding village (MG 271 117), in Kutkai Township. Burma Army soldiers from Mung Ji Base backed by 105mm fire. July 21 between 1100-1120 hrs., MNDAA soldiers from 505th Battalion, under 511th Brigade attacked around 60 combined Burma Army soldiers from IB (79) and LIB (315) coming from Bang Sai Base, when the Burma Army soldiers arrived at uphill of Nam Hu village (MG 080 631). Fighting resumed when MNDAA soldiers attacked again between 1200-1400 hrs., in Kutkai Township. July 1 at 0830 hrs., KIA soldiers from 8th Battalion detonated a mine at a 4×4 truck in which soldiers from IB (123) were travelling on their way to Namhpakka Quarter (3) Market, leaving two dead, in Kutkai Township. July 6 at 0955 hrs., an estimated 70 Burma Army soldiers under LID (99) coming from Manje were attacked with four mines at Kawng Lim and Bang Hpik road junction (MG 193 182) by MNDAA No.501 Unit, in Kutkai Township. Lashio, Hseni July 24 between 1000-1100 hrs., KIA soldiers from 17th Battalion clashed with around 70 Burma Army soldiers under LID (99) coming from Pang Ti at Kawng Dap (MF 294 839), in Hseni Township. July 24 at 0940 hrs., the clash broke out when around 40 Burma Army soldiers under LID (99) appeared at Nawng Sam Bu (MF 267 496) where MNDAA soldiers from 205th Battalion stayed. At 1735 hrs., around 80 Burma Army soldiers from LIB (420) carried out an offensive at Bang Loi Ngin (MF 240 470) where MNDAA soldiers from 205th Battalion initiated fire, in Lashio Township. June 2021 Kachin Reporting The month of June saw continued fighting in Shan and Kachin states, with a reported tally of 34 artillery missions, 13 uses of mines and improvised explosive devices, and 27 troop contacts that resulted in short or prolonged fighting between EAO’s and Burma Army forces. In Kachin State much of the reported fighting took place in Hpakant, Mansi, Monyin, Momauk, and Waingmaw Townships, while in Shan State the majority of reported fighting continues to take place in the vicinity of Kuthkai. Kachin State Hpakant (Monyin District) On June 3 at 1750 hrs., Burma Army soldiers from Ginsi Byuha Base fired 4 105mm rounds towards Myithkrum village, Minmaw and Ye Sha Maw in Hpakant Township. On June 15 between 1740-0830 hrs., an estimated 60 Burma Army soldiers from LIB (116) coming from Lunghkang Gun-powder Station were attacked with mines by KIA soldiers from 6th Battalion which led to fighting. The two Burma Army soldiers were killed and one wounded in the clash, in Hpakant Township. On June 15 at 1715 hrs., IB (76) stationed at Ginsi Dingnyina Kawng fired two 105mm rounds to the side of 6th Battalion control area and two rounds to the side of 9th Brigade HQ at 1740 hrs., in Hpakant Township. On June 23 at 2146 hrs., Burma Army soldiers stationed at Kamaing Byuha Kawng (Kamaing Tactical Base) fired two 81mm mortar rounds to the side of Si-En terrain, in Hpakant Township. At 2150 hrs., LIB (12) stationed at Nam Ya fired two 60mm mortar rounds to the side of Sabaw Maw. On June 23 at 2146 hrs., Burma Army soldiers stationed at Kamaing Byuha Kawng (Kamaing Tactical Base) fired two 81mm mortar rounds to the side of Si-En terrain, in Hpakant Township. On June 23 at 2150 hrs., LIB (12) stationed at Nam Ya fired two 60mm mortar rounds to the side of Sabaw Maw, in Hpakant Township..."
Source/publisher: Free Burma Rangers
2021-08-16
Date of entry/update: 2021-08-17
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Description: "A new briefing paper released today by KWAT provides an update of human rights violations by the regime’s security forces in urban and rural areas of Kachin State and Muse District of northern Shan State during April and May, 2021. Security forces have continued to use live ammunition against unarmed protesters, killing two men, in Bhamo and Hpakant. They have also continued hunting out activists in urban areas, arresting sixty-one people during the two months, including NLD members, doctors, journalists, and youth leaders. In rural areas, in response to losses inflicted by the KIA, the regime’s forces have stepped up brutal reprisals against civilians, including torture, arbitrary shooting, and shelling of residential areas. Youth in Myitkyina, Mohnyin and Kamaing have been arbitrarily arrested and tortured for suspected links to the KIA. This included three boys returning from playing football, who were detained in a military base for 12 days, beaten in the head with guns and burned with cigarettes. Escalated shelling along the Dawhpumyang-Momauk highway in southeast Kachin State has killed nine villagers and injured fifteen, including three children. This was in direct retaliation for KIA gains in the area, including the recapture of the Alaw Bum mountaintop base on March 25, and the shooting down of a regime helicopter on May 3. The attacks on civilians have caused large-scale displacement, with over 6,000 new IDPs fleeing to Momauk and Bhamo towns. Their former homes are now occupied by Burma Army troops from the notorious elite infantry divisions 77, 88 and 99, who have been looting villagers’ property, livestock and food. KWAT is calling for economic and diplomatic sanctions on the illegitimate coup regime, and for a global arms embargo and no-fly zone over Burma. Neighbouring countries, including China, are urged to stop the regime from using their airspace to launch attacks. KWAT urges foreign governments to endorse the National Unity Government as the legitimate government of Burma, and requests international donors to provide humanitarian aid cross-border to the IDPs in ethnic areas..."
Source/publisher: Kachin Women’s Association Thailand
2021-06-16
Date of entry/update: 2021-06-17
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Forces of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), one of the ethnic factions opposed to Myanmar’s coup, attacked military positions at the northwestern jade mining town of Hkamti on Saturday, local media reported. The attack marks an advance into new territory by the KIA at a time Myanmar has been plunged into chaos since the army seized power on Feb. 1, detained elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi and cut short a decade of democratic reforms. KIA fighters attacked an army post at Hkamti township in the Sagaing region early on Saturday, the Irrawaddy and Mizzima online publications said. Pictures showed columns of dark smoke rising from what they said was the scene of the attack. KIA spokesman Naw Bu told Reuters he was aware of the attack but could give no details. Reuters was unable to reach a junta spokesman for comment on the reports. "The fighting is still ongoing. I can still hear the gunshots," Mizzima quoted one resident as saying. It said the site attacked was near a mining venture that involves the military-owned Myanma Economic Holdings Ltd. conglomerate. Reuters was unable to confirm the reports independently. Since the coup, open conflict resumed between the army and the KIA, which has been fighting for greater autonomy for the Kachin people for some six decades and has voiced support for anti-junta protesters. Mizzima said the army was using jets in attacks on the KIA at Hkamti, a town on the Chindwin river in a remote region rich in jade and gold that lies about 50 km (30 miles) from the border with India. The army has carried out numerous bombing attacks on KIA positions in recent weeks and has also clashed with ethnic armies in the east and west of Myanmar. Security forces have killed at least 812 people since the coup, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners activist group. The military disputes this figure and says at least two dozen members of the security forces have also been killed. The army seized power alleging fraud in a November election won by Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy. The then electoral commission had rejected its accusations. On Friday, local media quoted an official of the new electoral commission appointed by the junta as saying there was a plan to dissolve the NLD..."
Source/publisher: "Reuters" (UK)
2021-05-22
Date of entry/update: 2021-05-22
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Topic: KIA, Kachin Independence Army, Myanmar military, Kachin State
Sub-title: The Myanmar military launches air attacks on Kachin and Karen villages after losing strategic bases to ethnic armed organisations
Topic: KIA, Kachin Independence Army, Myanmar military, Kachin State
Description: "The Myanmar military continued to launch lethal air attacks on villages in Kachin State’s Momauk Township after one of its helicopters was shot down by the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) on Monday. KIA spokesperson Col Naw Bu told Myanmar Now that Kachin forces shot and destroyed a junta helicopter between the villages of Myo Thit and Kone Law in Momauk at around 8am. “We shot it down during a battle. Fighter jets also came to the area,” Col Naw Bu said. “The battles are not on the ground—the military are launching airstrikes and using sophisticated weapons.” After losing the helicopter, the regime’s armed forces continued its air attacks on Myo Thit, Kone Law and Si Hat villages, he added. A 60-year-old man and a Buddhist monk, whose age was not known at the time of reporting, were killed in the strikes, local media reported. At least 10 villagers were injured, according to the Kachinwaves news outlet. Fighting has intensified between the KIA and the military’s 77th Light Infantry Division in Momauk in recent days. A battle on April 29 killed 20 regime soldiers and led to a KIA seizure of junta weaponry, according to a KIA source. The clash took place below Alaw Bum, a strategically important hill base that the KIA seized on March 25. The Tatmadaw has launched numerous air and ground attacks in a bid to reclaim it but has suffered heavy losses. At the time of reporting, Alaw Bum was still in KIA hands. The Myanmar military has also launched around 30 airstrikes since late March in Mutraw (Hpapun) District, Karen State. The territory is controlled by the 5th Brigade of the Karen National Union’s armed wing, the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA). The airstrikes and heavy artillery fire, largely aimed at civilian targets, had driven more than 3,000 people to seek refuge across the border in Thailand as of Saturday, according to the Karen Peace Support Network. The most recent round of regime air attacks followed the KNLA’s seizure of a junta base in the Thaw Le Hta area of Mutraw, across the Salween River from Thailand’s Mae Hong Son province, on April 27. Many of the airstrikes have taken place near the Ei Htu Hta internally displaced people’s camp near the Salween River, forcing the camp’s population of more than 2,000 into hiding. Many are among the recent refugees in Thailand. More displaced villagers from Karen State are expected to flee to Thailand if the regime’s airstrikes continue..."
Source/publisher: "Myanmar Now" (Myanmar)
2021-05-03
Date of entry/update: 2021-05-04
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "The Kachin Independence Army (KIA), one of Myanmar's most powerful rebel groups, said on Monday it had shot down a helicopter after returning fire following air strikes by the military, an official at the group said. The United Nations estimates that tens of thousands of civilians have fled their homes as a result of the fighting between the military and ethnic minority insurgents in remote northern and eastern frontier regions. The conflict intensified after Myanmar's generals seized power on Feb.1, ousting the elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi. The KIA's information department head, Naw Bu, said the helicopter was shot down around 10:20 a.m. at a village near the town of Moemauk in Kachin province. "The military council launched air strikes in that area since around 8 or 9 this morning ... using jet fighters and also fired shots using a helicopter so we shot back at them," he said by telephone. He declined to say what weapons were used. News portals MizzimaDaily and Kachinwaves also reported the downing of the helicopter next to photographs showing a plume of smoke coming from the ground. A resident in the area, who declined to be named, said by telephone that four people had died in hospital after artillery shells hit a monastery in the village. Reuters could not independently verify the reports and a military spokesman did not answer a phone call seeking comment. Myanmar has been in turmoil since the coup, with protests almost daily against military rule across the country. On Sunday, Myanmar security forces opened fire on some of the biggest protests in days, killing eight people, media reported. The protests, after a spell of dwindling crowds and what appeared to be more restraint by the security forces, were coordinated with demonstrations in Myanmar communities around the world to mark what organisers called "the global Myanmar spring revolution". The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners advocacy group says security forces have killed at least 765 protesters since the coup. Reuters is unable to confirm the toll. The military said it had to seize power because its complaints of fraud in a November election won by Suu Kyi's party were not addressed by an election commission that deemed the vote fair. Suu Kyi, 75, has been detained since the coup along with many other members of her party..."
Source/publisher: "Reuters" (UK)
2021-05-03
Date of entry/update: 2021-05-03
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Topic: KIA, Kachin Independence Army, Myanmar military, Kachin State, Momauk
Sub-title: The notorious division has been implicated in mass killings against the Rohingya and the murder of protesters in Yangon
Topic: KIA, Kachin Independence Army, Myanmar military, Kachin State, Momauk
Description: "Twenty soldiers from the Tatmadaw’s notorious 77th Light Infantry Division were killed on Thursday during an attack by the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) in Momauk township, a KIA officer said. The clash took place at the bottom of Alaw Bum, a strategically important hill base that the KIA seized late last month. The Tatmadaw has launched numerous intense attacks in a bid to reclaim it but has suffered heavy losses. The KIA confiscated 18 weapons during Thursday's attack, said the officer, who is familiar with the incident but asked not to be named because he is not a spokesperson. The Tatmadaw responded with six airstrikes but they failed to inflict any damage on the KIA’s side, he added. The 77th LID has been implicated in mass killings during the campaign against the Rohingya in Rakhine State in 2017, as well as the murders of protesters in Yangon. The shock troops were sent to Alaw Bum as reinforcements after the Tatmadaw accidentally bombed one of its own units on April 24 during a clash between the KIA and the 88th LID, causing many casualties, the KIA officer said. The day after the friendly fire incident, the regime deployed three military units to attack Alaw Bum again and also launched airstrikes. The KIA said it suffered casualties, though it did not specify how many, during several days of sustained airstrikes. But it said the military faced heavier losses. On Thursday the KIA also launched an artillery attack near Waingmaw airport and hit a weapons warehouse. The clashes have forced civilians to flee their homes. “Someone’s house was shelled in Kone Law village on April 28,” a Momauk local told Myanmar Now. “Everyone from the village is fleeing, except one or two who stayed to look after their homes.” One person was heavily injured and reportedly sent to the Momauk military hospital, he said, while another man from the nearby Nwam Lan village was also injured. “I heard he might have to have a hand amputated.” There was another clash on Friday, he added. “They opened fire with artillery today but no jets yet.”..."
Source/publisher: "Myanmar Times" (Myanmar)
2021-04-30
Date of entry/update: 2021-04-30
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Brave Zu Zu Mi, 10, fled her village after fighting broke out. On her terrifying journey, she protected her siblings as they walked for three days before reaching a camp. Her hope is to become a teacher one day, but access to formal education for displaced children in camps is limited. Unresolved conflict, poverty and under-development are preventing children, like Zu Zu Mi, in remote parts of Myanmar from benefiting from the reform and peace efforts by the government. Investing in children can help steer Myanmar move towards a more prosperous and stable future. All children, from every community, should benefit from the country’s reform and development..."
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Source/publisher: "UNICEF"
2017-05-23
Date of entry/update: 2019-08-20
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: ''A court in northern Myanmar sentenced Lum Zawng (m), Nang Pu (f), and Zau Jet (m) today to six months imprisonment and a fine of 500,000 MMK (320 USD) each. On 3 September 2018, the three peaceful activists were charged under Section 500 of the Penal Code with defamation of the Myanmar military. The charges relate to statements they made at a peaceful rally in Myitkyina, Kachin State, on 30 April 2018 and at a press conference the next day, following major escalation in fighting in early April 2018 between the Myanmar military and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), an ethnic armed group in Kachin State. The fighting displaced more than 5,000 civilians, 2,000 of whom were trapped for several weeks in a forest near the village of Aung Lawt, without access to humanitarian assistance or safe passage from the conflict-affected area...''
Source/publisher: Amnesty International
2018-12-07
Date of entry/update: 2019-01-18
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Source/publisher: Transnational Institute (TNI)
2018-02-05
Date of entry/update: 2018-02-06
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Since the conflict reignited in 2011 in Kachin State, Myanmar, over 100,000 internally people remain living in internally displaced persons (IDP) camps. To date, efforts at brokering peace have not resulted in a cessation of armed conflict. Wider awareness and a clear understanding of the experiences, needs and interests of women who have been internally displaced, is crucial to advocate for and create a gender-transformative peace process..."
Source/publisher: reliefweb
2017-06-09
Date of entry/update: 2017-12-28
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 1.57 MB
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Description: "Trafficking and Militarized Femininity on the Burma-China Border Kachin State is an ethnic region in northern Burma that has long been in conflict with the central Burmese government.1 In 2011, a seventeen-year cease-fire was broken, resulting in the resumption of active warfare between the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO)—the political arm of the Kachin people—and the Burmese military, at the government?s behest. In spite of ongoing attempts at peace negotiations, the Kachin Women?s Association of Thailand has documented an alarming number of atrocities—including rape, arbitrary arrest and torture—against civilians (Kachin Women?s Association of Thailand, 2013). The area has been documented to be an active conflict zone resulting in one of the worst humanitarian crisis? in the Mekong Sub-Region (Human Rights Watch, 2014). According to a report by the prior Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Burma, over 120,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) have fled to border areas of Burma and China to escape the fighting (Quintana, 2014), and these communities suffer from a lack of basic necessities and little to no foreign aid. These desperate conditions have left civilians—women, in particular—very vulnerable. As a result, trafficking in women ? often to Yunnan Province as forced brides ? is on the rise. This form of trafficking, however, has not been made a priority on the policy agendas of the Burmese or Chinese governments, and there is currently no official anti-trafficking policy operating within Kachin State..."
Creator/author: Erin M. Kamler
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: 2015-08-08
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 209.76 KB
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Description: "...For the past three years, Myanmar authorities have systematically tortured Kachin civilians perceived to be aligned with the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), Fortify Rights said in a new report released today. Fortify Rights believes these abuses constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity. The government of Myanmar should intervene immediately to end the use of torture in the conduct of the ongoing war in Kachin State and northern Shan State, and it should credibly investigate and prosecute members of the Myanmar Army, Myanmar Police Force, and Military Intelligence who are responsible for the serious crimes described in this report. The 71-page report, ?I Thought They Would Kill Me?: Ending Wartime Torture in Northern Myanmar, describes the systematic use of torture and other cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment or punishment (?ill treatment?) of more than 60 civilians by Myanmar authorities from June 2011 to April 2014. Members of the Myanmar Army, Myanmar Police Force, and Military Intelligence deliberately caused severe and lasting mental and physical pain to civilians in combat zones, villages, and places of detention in Kachin State. While some impacts of these crimes are irreparable, none of the survivors interviewed by Fortify Rights have received adequate medical care..."
Source/publisher: Fortify Rights
2014-06-09
Date of entry/update: 2014-06-09
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 5.76 MB
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Description: Summary: "In late 2012, the Burma Army intensified military operations against strongholds of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA). This culminated in a massive offensive on the KIA headquarters at Laiza on the China-Burma border starting in mid-December. This month-long assault involved repeated mortar shelling and aerial bombings in the Laiza area, populated by 20,000 civilians, over half of whom are internally displaced persons (IDPs) who were denied refuge in China. This report documents the killing or injury of 26 civilians, including women, children and the elderly, in Burmese artillery attacks in five areas during the recent military operations. The repeated authorization of artillery fire into areas populated by civilians, as well as deliberate torching of villages and IDP shelters, represent serious breaches of international humanitarian law, and are likely to amount to war crimes. The humanitarian situation in Kachin areas remains critical, with 364 villages wholly or partially abandoned, and over 100,000 people internally displaced. Hardly any international aid has been provided to the 66,000 IDPs in Kachin-controlled areas. There has been little international condemnation of the Burma Army aggression in Kachin State. Foreign governments appear more interested in pursuing diplomatic and economic engagement with Burma?s military-backed government. However, silence on the Burmese military?s crimes risks plunging Burma deeper into civil war, by emboldening Burma?s rulers to continue using force to crush the ethnic resistance movements. . The international community must strongly condemn the crimes committed by the Burma Army, and pressure the Burmese government to end all military aggression, begin troop withdrawal from Kachin areas of Burma, and enter into political dialogue with the Kachin Independence Army to address the demands for ethnic equality at the root of the conflict."
Source/publisher: Kachin Women?s Association Thailand (KWAT)
2013-02-28
Date of entry/update: 2013-04-03
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 1018.18 KB
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Description: "This special dossier of 36 cases brought under the 1908 Unlawful Associations Act against people accused of contact with the Kachin Independence Army was researched and compiled in 2012 by independent human rights defenders in Burma who have requested that the Asian Human Rights Commission disseminate the material...At a time that the conflict in Kachin State between the Kachin Independence Army and Burma armed forces is only getting worse, this dossier marks an important contribution to documentation on human rights abuses in the region, because it signals very sharply the intersection between war and law, between violence in armed combat and violence in interrogation, in the use of torture and other techniques against persons who have been branded enemies of the state...the human rights defenders who gathered and translated this material have two stated objectives: to document and inform people about the use of the Unlawful Associations Act; and, to secure the release of the accused. Both of these objectives are laudable, and strongly supported by the AHRC. Clearly, not enough has been done to document cases of this sort in a way that makes explicit the connection between strategic practices of the military and those of other parts of the state apparatus for the targeting of internal enemies. We firmly hope that by taking these steps, not only will the connections be better understood but also those whose cases are documented will obtain relief through some publicity and attention to their specific plights..."
Source/publisher: Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) & Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC)
2013-01-21
Date of entry/update: 2013-01-21
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 2.73 MB
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Description: Summary: "This report provides an update of atrocities committed by the Burma Army against civilians since it broke its 17-year ceasefire with the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) one year ago. It highlights the particular suffering of women during the conflict, who have been forced to be porters, used as sex slaves, gang-raped and killed. Since the start of the conflict, there has been a huge deployment of Burmese troops into Kachin State and northern Shan State. Currently about 150 battalions are being used to crush the KIA, tripling the number of Burmese troops in the area. These troops have deliberately targeted civilians for abuse, causing villagers to flee in terror, leaving large swathes of countryside depopulated. There is strong evidence that Burmese troops have used rape systematically as a weapon of war. In the past year, KWAT has documented the rape or sexual assault of at least 43 women and girls, of whom 21 were killed. The rapes have been widespread, occurred in thirteen townships, by ten different battalions. Women have been openly kept as sex slaves by military officers, and gang-raped in church. There has been complete impunity for these crimes. When the husband of a Kachin woman abducted by the Burmese military tried to press charges, the Naypyidaw Supreme Court dismissed the case without even hearing his evidence. The continued abuse against civilians has swelled the numbers of internally displaced persons in Kachin State to over 75,000, most of whom are sheltering in makeshift camps along the China border, where little international aid has reached them. KWAT is calling on the international community to denounce the ongoing human rights abuses, and maintain pressure on the Burmese government to immediately implement a nationwide ceasefire, pull back Burma Army troops from ethnic areas and start dialogue with the United Nationalities Federal Council towards a process of genuine political reform."
Source/publisher: Kachin Women?s Association Thailand (KWAT)
2012-06-00
Date of entry/update: 2012-06-11
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 1.45 MB
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Description: • In the past year, the Tatmadaw has deployed nearly 25% of its battalions to Kachin State, escalating its war with the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and bringing further suffering to civilian populations in Kachin State and Northern Shan State. • Tatmadaw soldiers have constantly targeted civilians in Kachin State and Northern Shan States as part of their military operations against the KIA. Human rights abuses have included extrajudicial killings, rape of women, arbitrary arrests, torture, forced displacement, the use of human shields, forced labor, and the confiscation and destruction of property. All of these systematic abuses would be considered war crimes and/or crimes against humanity under international law. • The ongoing conflict has displaced about 75,000 people, including at least 10,000 refugees who crossed the border into China. Despite the severity of the situation, the regime has frustrated relief efforts, severely restricting humanitarian access to local and international organizations. • The KIA?s political leadership, the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), has made repeated attempts to negotiate a lasting peace in Kachin State. However, the regime has rejected the KIO?s request to discuss long-term political solutions prior to a ceasefire agreement. BACKGROUND: 2008 constitution, 2010 elections, BGF, energy projects, and human rights abuses
Source/publisher: ALTSEAN-Burma
2012-06-08
Date of entry/update: 2012-06-09
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: KEY DEVELOPMENTS: * The Burma Army is currently attacking within six miles of Mai Ja Yang, a city in Kachin State that is a refuge for over 1,000 displaced people * The Burma Army is firing an average of 100 mortar rounds per day into this area and is receiving reinforcements. * Over 40,000 Kachin people now displaced by attacks and more are preparing to run
Source/publisher: Free Burma Rangers (FBR)
2012-01-22
Date of entry/update: 2012-06-03
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: KEY DEVELOPMENTS: Burma Army Infantry Battalion (IB) 105, commanded by Major Moe Kyaw, stabbed and shot three villagers to death, shot a 70-year-old woman and tortured four villagers in Mun Si Township, Kachin State
Source/publisher: Free Burma Rangers (FBR)
2012-01-17
Date of entry/update: 2012-06-03
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: ?When Burmese President Thein Sein took office in March 2011, he said that over 60 years of armed conflict have put Burma?s ethnic populations through ?the hell of untold miseries.? Just three months later, the Burmese armed forces resumed military operations against the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), leading to serious abuses and a humanitarian crisis affecting tens of thousands of ethnic Kachin civilians. ?Untold Miseries?: Wartime Abuses and Forced Displacement in Kachin State is based on over 100 interviews in Burma?s Kachin State and China?s Yunnan province. It details how the Burmese army has killed and tortured civilians, raped women, planted antipersonnel landmines, and used forced labor on the front lines, including children as young as 14-years-old. Soldiers have attacked villages, razed homes, and pillaged properties. Burmese authorities have failed to authorize a serious relief effort in KIA-controlled areas, where most of the 75,000 displaced men, women, and children have sought refuge. The KIA has also been responsible for serious abuses, including using child soldiers and antipersonnel landmines. Human Rights Watch calls on the Burmese government to support an independent international mechanism to investigate violations of international human rights and humanitarian law by all parties to Burma?s ethnic armed conflicts. The government should also provide United Nations and humanitarian agencies unhindered access to all internally displaced populations, and make a long-term commitment with humanitarian agencies to authorize relief to populations in need.?
Source/publisher: Human Rights Watch
2012-03-19
Date of entry/update: 2012-03-20
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 1.72 MB
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Description: Executive Summary: "In September 2011, as the international community discussed easing sanctions on Burma?s military-backed civilian government, Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) conducted an emergency investigation in Burma?s Kachin State in response to reports of grave human rights violations in the region. The aims of the study were 1. to independently investigate reported human rights abuses and war crimes; and 2. to assess the humanitarian situation and nutritional status of internally displaced persons (IDPs) displaced by conflict in 2011. This report provides the first humanitarian assessment of some of the IDPs living in areas of Kachin State that are not controlled by the Burmese government. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) recently released a report on the health situation of 5900 IDPs in urban and peri-urban areas of Kachin state that are under Burmese government control. But no mention was made of the estimated 22,000 displaced people in other areas of the state. PHR conducted its investigation entirely in these areas; this report will help to build a more complete picture of the humanitarian situation among internally displaced persons in politically contested areas in Kachin State. The human rights investigation provides compelling evidence that the Burmese army (the Tatmadaw) has committed multiple human rights violations in Kachin State. Between June and September 2011, the Burmese army looted food from civilians, fired indiscriminately into villages, threatened villages with attacks, and used civilians as porters, human minesweepers, and impressed guides. Our findings are consistent with similar reports of human rights abuses in other ethnic states, and suggest that violations of rights of ethnic nationalities in the country by the central government are systematic and widespread. In addition to the human rights investigation, PHR visited six camps and four shelters for displaced Kachin civilians on the Sino-Burmese border and conducted health and nutrition assessments from 22-30 September, 2011. The camps fail to meet multiple minimum humanitarian standards outlined in the Sphere humanitarian guidelines. Camps are overcrowded and there are insufficient numbers of latrines and water supply points. Camp medical staff reported that upper respiratory infections and diarrhea were the most common reasons for clinic visits, and that they experienced shortages in medicine for infants. Key human rights findings of this report: • The Burmese army forced Kachin civilians to guide combat units and walk in front of army columns to trigger landmines. This practice puts civilians at extreme risk of injury and death and is a war crime. • The Burmese army regularly pillaged food and supplies from civilians. This practice is prohibited under customary international humanitarian law. • The Burmese army fired automatic weapons directly into a civilian village, striking nonmilitary targets. The intentional direction of attacks against civilians is also recognized as a war crime in the Rome Statute1, the treaty that created the International Criminal Court. 1. Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, art. 8(2), 17 Jul. 1998, 2187 U.N.T.S. 90, entered into force 1 Jul, 2002. 4 Under Siege in Kachin State, Burma Key related humanitarian concerns: • IDP camps are overcrowded and the numbers of latrines and water supply points are insufficient to ensure that residents? human rights to clean food and water are met. Camp medical staff reported insufficient supplies of medicine for infants. • Eleven percent of children under five years old in one camp in Laiza were found to be severely or moderately malnourished, a situation that the World Health Organization (WHO) classifies as ?severe? and warrants targeted supplementary feeding programs. • Very little aid reaches IDP camps, and groups caring for them face challenges in providing food, medicine, and shelter. The most vulnerable populations—those in rural areas and near the border—have not received any official humanitarian aid; they are only receiving aid from community-based organizations, which have largely been ignored by the international donor community. This investigation suggests that the incremental political changes in central Burma have not translated into improved livelihoods or improved the human rights situation of ethnic populations living along Burma?s frontiers. The government of Burma has announced greater freedoms, including unblocking some internet websites and limiting censorship in the press, and releasing Aung San Suu Kyi and a fraction of the other political prisoners in the country. Some in the international community have asserted that political change has come to Burma; however, these changes largely are confined to the urban, primarily ethnic Burman, population. For many of the peoples of Burma facing conflict and abuse, including the Kachin peoples, the brutality of the old regime remains an omnipresent threat. PHR?s findings come at a crucial moment when the international community is considering easing sanctions on Burma in response to its positive steps towards what Senior General Than Shwe has called ?disciplined democracy.? PHR welcomes the stated commitment of the government to greater openness and urges the international community to ensure that the rhetoric translates into positive action for all people in Burma. The Kachin and other groups continue to endure grave human rights violations at the hands of the Burmese army. True progress must be measured by thorough analysis of the extent of the government?s abuses and by establishing a system through which perpetrators are held accountable for their actions..."
Creator/author: Bill Davis, Ma, MPH
Source/publisher: Physicians for Human Rights
2011-11-00
Date of entry/update: 2011-12-02
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 457.61 KB
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