Description:
Executive Summary:
"On 9 June 2011, civil war broke out in northern Burma between the Burma Army and the Kachin
Independence Army (KIA), ending a 17-year long ceasefire agreement. This report presents data
collected from a Partners investigation in southern Kachin State, Burma in October 2011. The
testimony of witnesses and on-site photographs reveal multiple acts perpetrated by Burma Army
battalions 74 and 276 against ethnic Kachin civilians that potentially amount to war crimes and other
extreme crimes. These acts include torture, extrajudicial killing, the specific targeting of civilians,
human shielding, unlawful arrest, unlawful detention, forced labor, forced relocation, displacement,
property theft and property destruction.
Witnesses reported that Burma Army soldiers entered Nam Lim Pa village on 8 October 2011.
Men were arrested and detained for forced labor. Women and children were detained in the Roman
Catholic church compound against their will and without provocation or expressed reason.
Violent injuries demonstrate signs of extreme physical abuse and strongly suggest the intentional
infliction of severe pain or suffering while in custody. Civilian casualties included torture and execution.
Eyewitness reports indicate no Kachin Independence Army presence during the time of the attacks.
Villagers were forcibly relocated and displaced by armed soldiers. Houses, offices and churches
were robbed and vandalized, all without justification. At least one home was robbed and burned to
the ground while its owner was arrested and detained.
The results from this fact-finding mission to Kachin State reveal evidence of crimes that potentially
amount to war crimes, perpetrated by the Burma Army against ethnic Kachin civilians and their
properties in October 2011. Based on the incidents documented in this report, the Burma Army
is in contravention of its legal obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law.
Considering the nature and scale of these acts in combination with documented abuses in the broader
civil war in Kachin State, the actions of the Burma government and the Burma Army may also amount
to other serious violations, including crimes against humanity. Those responsible must be brought to
justice and held accountable for their actions. Partners makes the following key recommendations:..."
Source/publisher:
Partners Relief & Development
Date of Publication:
2011-11-27
Date of entry:
2011-11-28
Grouping:
- Individual Documents
Category:
Language:
English
Local URL:
Format:
pdf
Size:
1.98 MB