ND Burma
ND-Burma formed in 2004 in order to provide a way for Burma human rights organizations to collaborate on the human rights documentation process. The 13 ND-Burma member organizations seek to collectively use the truth of what communities in Burma have endured to advocate for justice for victims. ND-Burma trains local organizations in human rights documentation; coordinates members’ input into a common database using Martus, a secure open-source software; and engages in joint-advocacy campaigns.
Recent Posts
- Human Rights Situation weekly update (September 1 to 7, 2024)
- Red Cross chief calls for greater aid access after visit to Myanmar
- Over 67 killed by airstrikes in Arakan State since Sunday; ICRC requests humanitarian access during visit to Naypyidaw
- Myanmar junta airstrikes kill dozens, including prisoners, rebels say
- Myanmar armed group says 11 civilians killed in junta air strikes
Former reporter for independent news outlet dies at Myanmar’s Insein Prison
/in NewsNay Linn Htike wrote articles for the Democratic Voice of Burma before the 2021 military coup.
A former reporter who was imprisoned under a law designed to punish comments that imply the military junta’s rule is illegitimate has died of cancer at an infamous prison near Yangon, a former coworker told Radio Free Asia.
Nay Linn Htike, a former freelance reporter for the independent Democratic Voice of Burma in eastern Bago region, died on July 29, according to the former coworker who requested anonymity for security reasons.
Several friends told RFA that Nay Linn Htike was suffering from oral cancer and was transferred from Daik-U Prison in a remote area of Bago region to Insein Prison to receive specialized medical care.
“He liked beetroot and developed ulcers in his mouth and was unable to receive adequate medical treatment,” one of the friends said.
Nay Linn Htike, who was in his 40s, published articles in the Democratic Voice of Burma before the February 2021 military coup.
The former coworker said Nay Linn Htike was arrested while campaigning against the military after the coup and was prosecuted under Section 505(a) of the penal code, which was added by junta authorities to crack down on anti-military speech.
He was also charged under Section 52(a) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, which was also amended by the junta after the coup to make it easier to prosecute critics. He received an eight-year sentence.
“He was detained while participating in anti-military activities, reportedly as an organizer,” the former coworker said.
The friend told RFA that he received messages from Nay Linn Htike just before he was transferred to Insein.
“He wanted to ensure that those connected to him were informed about his whereabouts and health conditions,” the friend said.
Another friend of Nay Linn Htike told RFA that his family were unable to visit him at either of the prisons because they have been avoiding junta authorities.
RFA was unable to contact anyone at the office of the deputy director general of the junta’s Prisons Department to inquire about Nay Linn Htike’s death.
RFA News
Myanmar schools caught in the crossfire: Myanmar Witness
/in NewsMyanmar Witness has just published an important report on the threat to schools in Myanmar, a report welcomed by the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office.
Documenting damage to Myanmar’s education system since the 2021 coup, Myanmar Witness has documented 174 distinct incidents of violence affecting educational institutions in Myanmar since February 2021. Schools have been damaged by airstrikes, weaponry, and fire, with some hit multiple times. These events have caused significant infrastructure damage, impacting children’s education in the short and long term.
Myanmar Witness’ analysis draws from two primary datasets: the primary dataset (113 incidents), and a drone-specific dataset (61 incidents). The data reveals a steady increase in reported incidents affecting schools since February 2021, peaking in March 2024. The trend is consistent with data from the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED) on school infrastructure. Additional sources, including the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA) and United Nations Human Rights Council (UN HRC) analysis, also indicate a rise since the coup.
The Myanmar military is implicated in 90 of the 113 cases documented in the primary dataset, with just under half resulting in major damage or total destruction to school infrastructure. In contrast, People’s Defence Force (PDF) linked incidents generally caused less harm to educational infrastructure.
Sagaing Region has the highest number of incidents impacting school infrastructure (36 incidents, 33% of dataset), followed by Shan, Kayin and Kayah (11 incidents each, 10.1% of dataset, respectively) reflecting their status as major conflict zones. The drone specific dataset also indicates 36.8% of drone incidents occurred in Sagaing.
Myanmar Witness has assessed the varying levels of damage inflicted upon schools in their primary dataset, as well as examining damage to the surrounding areas (villages and towns).
A total of 31.5% of schools sustained major damage, potentially rendering the schools inoperable, while 9% were completely destroyed (primary dataset). The high percentage of incidents affecting surrounding areas suggests schools may not have been the main target. Thus, damage to schools could be the result of collateral damage during conflict.
Myanmar Witness has collected 64 reports of fatalities and 106 reports of injuries, though very few deaths have been verified due to challenges in verifying and geolocating user-generated content of the victims.
A number of these incidents may be linked to military use of school buildings, though Myanmar Witness cannot fully verify these claims. Regardless, these actions impact educational facilities, reducing access to learning materials and resources for students. Myanmar Witness recommends that international lawyers investigate these events to determine the status of these school buildings as protected sites under international law.
This report presents the available data on incidents affecting schools in Myanmar, highlights the frequency of such events in the context of the ongoing conflict, and seeks to hold those responsible to account. Myanmar Witness also compiled case studies that provide an insight into the trends uncovered during this investigation. Myanmar Witness says it will continue to monitor and report on incidents that impact on educational infrastructure in the country.
The UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) echoes the main theme of the Myanmar Witness report.
An FCDO spokesperson said: “The data is clear: schools are being destroyed, civilians seriously hurt and educational opportunities further suppressed in Myanmar.
“Schools are meant to be a place of safety and opportunity, not collateral in a conflict. ASEAN is critical to finding a path to peace in Myanmar. We again reiterate our call to all parties, particularly the Myanmar military, to refrain from airstrikes, safeguard civilians, and protect civilian infrastructure.”
The UK says it is committed to holding those responsible in Myanmar to account and has provided £3.5m to Myanmar Witness since 2021.
The UK has also provided £800,000 to the Independent Investigative Mechanism on Myanmar (IIMM) to ensure justice for victims of serious international crimes in Myanmar and hold the perpetrators to account.
The UK has helped support over 270,000 children access education, including 135,000 female students between June 2023 – November 2024.
Mizzima News
Human Rights Situation weekly update (July 15 to 21, 2024)
/in HR SituationHuman Rights Violations took place in States and Regions from July 15 to 21, 2024
Military Junta Troop launched airstrikes and dropped bombs in Mandalay Region, Tanintharyi Region, Shan State, Kachin State, and Mon State from July 15th to 21st. The Military Junta Navy attacked heavy artillery on the villages along the Ayeyarwady River in Singu Township, Mandalay Region. Political prisoners from Insein Prison, Yangon Region, were relocated to Thayawaddy Prison and Kyaikzagaw Prison, Bago Region.
Over 40 civilians died, and nearly 20 were injured by the Military’s heavy and light artillery attacks within a week. Over 30 civilians were arrested, and over 10 were killed by the arrest of the Military Junta within a week.
Infogram
Myanmar junta abducts, tortures and kills five civilians in Sagaing Region’s Tumaya Village
/in NewsMyanmar junta forces abducted and killed five residents of Tumaya Village in the western part of Mingin Township, Sagaing Region on the night of 16 July, according to the Student’s Revolutionary Force (SRF).
Among the deceased were two women, accused of providing information to the revolutionary forces.
The victims were identified as U Win Swe (50), U Tin Win (60), Ko Chit Ko (38), Ma Hla Lay Ngwe (38), and Ma Myo Myo Win (35). Another resident, Ko Too Naing, survived the tragic incident and is currently receiving medical aid from the SRF.
“They were killed after it was claimed that they had provided information to the revolutionary forces. When they were preparing to go to bed at their respective home, they were abducted by the Military Council at night,” said an SRF spokesperson.
Ko Too Naing, a survivor of the incident, recounted the brutality of the attack.
“They were mercilessly killed, with their bodies slashed repeatedly with knives. My wife was tortured and killed in front of me. I also endured severe torture, with numerous knife wounds. I was left for dead when they believed I had passed out,” he said.
The SRF reported that the bodies of those killed were cremated and buried on 17 July with the help of the defense forces and local residents.
Tumaya Village, home to approximately 100 households, is under the control of the Military Council Army and is near the Military Council Army stations in the neighbouring villages of Ingyintaung, Minyaw, and Thaegyikone. Most of the villagers are farmers, with some being members of the Pyu Saw Htee under the Military Council, who threaten to kill those not aligned with the military.
Mingin Township has 36 joint military camps of the Military Council Army and Pyu Saw Htee. The Military Council Army has raided and torched 37 villages in the township. Despite the recent violence, the military situation is currently calm, according to the Mingin-based People’s Defense Forces.
Mizzima News
30,000 civilians trapped by conflict in Myanmar’s Lashio
/in NewsTens of thousands have already fled the town in Shan state amid fighting between Kokang rebels and the military.
Around 30,000 civilians are trapped in the largest town in northeastern Myanmar’s Shan state amid intensified fighting between the military and ethnic Kokang rebels, residents and aid workers said Thursday.
The Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, or MNDAA, is part of an alliance of three ethnic minority insurgent forces known as the Three Brotherhood Alliance. The alliance launched an offensive last October, codenamed Operation 1027 for the date it began, and pushed back junta forces in several regions.
After a five-month ceasefire ended on June 25, the MNDAA and allied forces attacked junta camps in Madaya, Singu and Mogoke townships in Mandalay region, and Hsipaw, Kyaukme, Nawnghkio and Lashio towns in Shan state to the east.
MNDAA forces began targeting military outposts in Lashio – a town with a population of just over 130,000 – on July 3, and more than 50,000 people have since fled their homes amid heavy shelling that caused civilian casualties, residents told RFA Burmese.
But some 30,000 residents remain trapped in the town, mostly because they lack the financial wherewithal to escape, they said.
“With children, we do not have enough money to flee from the armed conflict,” said one resident who, like others interviewed for this report, spoke on condition of anonymity due to security concerns. “So, we … must keep living inside the town. It is also expensive to rent a car to flee.”
The resident added that Lashio is dealing with a scarcity of commodities and rising prices, while shops are closing daily.
A 100-year-old man in Lashio told RFA that he couldn’t leave the town because of injuries to his head and leg caused by shelling. He now depends on food supplies from relief groups, he said.
“I have received food from relief groups as most shops in Lashio are closed,” he said. “[Junta] airstrikes took place yesterday. All the houses near the [military’s] Light Infantry Battalion No. 507 headquarters were completely destroyed.”
The elderly resident said that three of his neighbors were killed by heavy weapons fire and had to be buried in a trench.
According to Lashio residents and relief groups, around 30 civilians were killed and another 30 were injured by artillery attacks from July 3-17.
In need of aid
A relief worker in Lashio confirmed to RFA that many people are trapped in the town because they can’t afford to abandon their homes, while those who have taken refuge in nearby towns are facing various difficulties.
“Many people want to leave the town, but they have no money,” said the worker, noting that most are trying to reach Myanmar’s second largest city Mandalay, 280 kilometers (175 miles) to the southeast, or southern Shan state’s capital Taunggyi, 345 kilometers (215 miles) to the south.
“They are trying to sell their motorcycles to cover the cost of moving to other areas.”
The relief worker noted that many of his colleagues had already left Lashio amid the fighting, although a contingent was trying to return from neighboring Hsipaw township to assist trapped residents.
Of the more than 50,000 residents who have already fled, many have relocated to Kutkai, Nam Lan, Taunggyi, Mandalay, and the commercial capital Yangon, a displaced resident who made his way to Taunggyi told RFA. However, some have been trapped en route, while others are now destitute in their towns of refuge.
“We fled our homes without enough money, and we expect to face many problems in the long run,” he said. “We have no jobs or income in these other towns.”
The Lashio resident said that rent is on the rise in Taunggyi, due to the rising number of internally displaced persons, or IDPs, arriving in town.
Attempts by RFA to contact MNDAA spokesperson Li Kyar Win and the junta’s Shan state spokesperson and economic minister Khun Thein Maung for updates on the conflict, went unanswered Thursday.
The MNDAA announced on Tuesday that it had arrested 32 junta soldiers, including a deputy company commander, during fighting near Lashio.
Translated by Aung Khin. Edited by Joshua Lipes and Malcolm Foster.
RFA News
Human Rights Situation weekly update (July 8 to 14, 2024)
/in HR Situation, NewsHuman Rights Violations took place in States and Regions from July 8 to 14, 2024
Military Junta Troop launched airstrikes and dropped bombs in Sagaing Region, Mandalay Region, Tanintharyi Region, Shan State, and Rakhine State from July 8th to 14th. The Military Junta used the political prisoners as human shields in Thandwe Prison, Rakhine State, and 2women political prisoners died from the heavy artillery of the Military Junta. The Military Junta had limitations of visiting the prison, torturing and feeding unhealthy foods to the prisoners in Pathein Prison, Ayeyarwady Region. The Military arrested the civilians for the Military Service in Ayeyarwady Region and Mandalay Region.
Over 40 civilians died, and almost 60 were injured by the Military’s heavy and light artillery attacks within a week. 3civilians were injured by the Military’s landmine.
Infogram