Burma Army killed, tortured civilians in Ho Pong, says Shan NGO
Burmese armed forces arbitrarily killed, tortured
and arrested local people in southern Shan State’s Ho Pong Township during the
period July 16–30, according to a briefing today from local watchdog Shan Human
Rights Foundation (SHRF).
SHRF says that the extrajudicial killings, torture
and arrest of civilians occurred after the Burmese military clashed with the Restoration
Council of Shan State/Shan State Army (RCSS/SSA), which is a signatory to the Nationwide
Ceasefire Agreement (NCA), near Hai Khai village, Ho Pong Township, on July 14.
In a detailed eight-page report, SHRF documented
that a litany of human right violations were committed by soldiers belonging to
the following Burmese military battalions: Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) 508;
LIB 509 of Light Infantry Division 55 (Ba Htoo Base); LIB 423; LIB 424 of
Military Operations Command 7 (Hsihseng Base); IB 225 from Triangle Military
Command (Kengtung Base); and IB 249 from Eastern Military Command (Taunggyi
Base).
The Shan rights group reported that at least one
villager was killed and up to seven others remain unaccounted for, their
whereabouts unknown.
“On July 18, 2017, at 10 am, two farmers named Sai
Jarm and Sai Panda from Khok Lao village were on their way from a corn farm to
a paddy field near the village carrying two rifles, one long-barreled and one
short-barreled (used for hunting and protection against wild animals in the
jungle), when they [encountered] about 100 Burma Army troops from LIB 424,”
reads the statement. “The troops arrested and interrogated both of them, then
took them with them, first to Khok Lao village, then to Kho Tawng village. This
was seen by local villagers.”
The report continued: “On the way, they met a
12-year-old boy called Sai Win, from Kho Tawng, who was returning home after
sending his grandfather to Nawng Vok village, south of Kho Tawng. He was
carrying a walkie-talkie (commonly used by villagers for communication as there
is no mobile phone coverage in the area). He was arrested and taken together
with the other two villagers to a corn farm belonging to Lung Wan Na, in the
hills near Kho Tawng village.”
The SHRF statement read: “SHRF is gravely concerned
for the fate of the seven detained villagers, particularly the 12-year-old boy,
and urges their immediate and unconditional release.”
The report also described how Burmese troops killed
a mentally ill man last week.
“On July 30, at about 10 am, a farm laborer called
Lung Shwe (who was mentally ill) was seen being arrested, beaten and shot dead
by Burma Army troops from LIB 425 at Mai Nim. On August 1, a villager went and
found his body, which had been burned, but he did not dare take it back to the
village. The body remains uncollected, but on August 2, a funeral ceremony was
held for Lung Shwe at the Hai Kai village monastery.”
Sai Hor Hseng, a spokesperson of the SHRF, said that
the Burmese military must take responsibility for their crimes.
“Killing innocent people is [a violation of the]
military code of ethics,” he said. “Therefore, the Burmese armed forces are
responsible for all of their crimes and [should compensate] the victims.”
“The government should not be silent,” he added.
“They should come out and do something for the people.”
Extrajudicial executions and arrest of civilians have
been regularly reported across Shan State. On June 30, 2017 Shan Herald reported that shelling killed two villagers in Wan Penghoi Village in northern Shan State’s Kutkhai
Township amid fighting between Burmese armed forces and the Ta’ang National
Liberation Army (TNLA).
“The situation is the same or even
worse compared to last year,” Shan activist Sai Hor Hseng said. “Burmese troops
were even torturing and arresting civilians while UN envoy Yanghee Lee was in
the country [July 9-21, 2017].”
In June last year, SHRF reported that
43 villagers including women were used as human
shields, while five villagers were seriously tortured and three were killed by
Burmese armed forces during fighting with the Shan State Progress Party/Shan
State Army (SSPP/SSA) in Kyaukme Township, northern Shan State.
By Shan Herald Agency for News
(SHAN)
Tags: Human Rights, News
