Shooting, Killing and Torture of Civilians by Burma Army During Kokang Conflict

By Shan Human Rights Foundation • March 4, 2015

Interviews by SHRF provide evidence that during the current conflict in the Kokang area, Burma Army soldiers have been indiscriminately shooting at civilians, causing injury and death; have used civilians as hostages for ambush; and have also tortured civilians on suspicion of supporting the Kokang armed resistance group.

We have documented the following cases:

Feb 13, 2015 – approx 4 pm	Shooting and injury of two women, one aged 76 and one aged 47, who were riding in a car through Laogai
Feb 13, 2015 – approx 6 pm	Shooting and killing of a married couple – wife aged 48 and husband aged 33 – who were riding their motorcycle through Laogai
Feb 13, 2015 – night-time	Villagers used as hostages to try and ambush Kokang soldiers
Feb 19, 2015 – approx 3 pm	Shooting and injury of a 61-year-old farmer in a village 6 miles south of Laogai
Feb 19-20, 2015	Torture of four male villagers at the main Burma Army base in Laogai; one has disappeared

Witnesses also described seeing other bodies of civilians lying in the street in Laogai, some with their hands tied, indicating that the scale of the killings is greater than we have documented.

SHRF strongly condemns these attacks and abuses against civilians, and urges the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, Ms Yanghee Lee, to visit the Kokang area as soon as possible to monitor the human rights situation there, and push for accountability for abuses that have taken place.

For more information please contact,

Email: [email protected], [email protected]

Website: www.shanhumanrights.org

Mobile Phone: +66(0)93- 297-7754