Date: Friday, November 1st, 2013
Time: 3:00-4:00pm
Place: Myanmar Embassy,
2300 S St NW, Washington, D.C., DC 20008
Since the war escalated in the Kachin region, civilians have endured mass atrocities and abuses by the Burma Army.
In September, 2013, women were gang raped and nine villagers were arrested and tortured in Nhka Ga village near Putao. 53 villagers from Nhka Ga have been held as hostages by the Burma army in their own village since September. In recent incidents in Masi township, the Burma army not only indiscriminately attacked, killed, injured, arbitrarily arrested, tortured, and forced civilians to work on the front line but also held them as hostages.
Currently, several hundreds of villagers from Mungding Pa are being trapped in their own villages by the Burma army’s refusal to let them leave. The villagers have been cut off of supplies and humanitarian aid workers have also been barred from entering them.
Thousands of villagers from Kawng Ja, Mungding Pa, Mahkaw Yang, Nam Hpu and Namlim Pa in Mansi township are severely affected by ongoing offensive launched by the Burma army last week. In Namlim Pa, a7 years old was killed and two civilians were critically injured while over 1200 IDPs and village residents are currently facing food shortage as the army encircles their village. In some areas, the government’s abuse is manifested in the form of land grabs and detainment of those who attempt to help civilians or promote human rights.
For example, Daw Bawk Ja, a well-known Kachin land rights activist, was arrested unlawfully and is currently on trial for charges which are politically motivated. In solidarity with these civilians who have been killed, tortured and abused,
we urge the Burmese government to take the following actions immediately:
(1) To immediately release villagers from Nhka Ga and Mung Ding Pa being held as hostages
(2) To immediately release Daw Bawk Ja and discontinue arbitrarily arrests and torturing of civilians
(3) To immediately end the ongoing offensive and actions which put the lives and well-being of vulnerable civilians at risk
(4) To follow ALL conditions agreed upon in the agreement made with KIO on October 10, 2013 in order to encourage the progress of current peace talks because failure to follow the agreed upon conditions is disturbing the progress.
For more information,
please contact the Kachin Alliance.
Email: contact@kachinalliance.org
Phone: 1-202-500-5076
