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Human Rights Situation in Myanmar: Post- Coup (February 7-13)2022

February 14, 2022/in HR Situation

In July 2021, one of Myanmar’s major telecom operators and second largest telecom businesses, Telenor Group, announced they were leaving Myanmar. The decision came approximately six months after the junta had launched their failed coup. In addition to leaving Myanmar, Telenor sold the entire company to M1 Group, a Lebanese investment group. The military junta […]

Bodies of four civilians found in Sagaing after soldiers burn down two villages

February 14, 2022/in News

Another seven villagers are still missing following the attacks last week Local resistance fighters discovered the bodies of four civilians in a rural area of Sagaing’s Mingin Township last week after junta soldiers and Pyu Saw Htee militiamen burned down two nearby villages. Three of the bodies, one of which had been burned to ashes, […]

Human Rights Situation in Myanmar: Post- Coup (February 7-13)2022

February 14, 2022/in HR Situation

Bodies of four civilians found in Sagaing after soldiers burn down two villages

February 14, 2022/in News

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Human Rights Situation in Myanmar: Post- Coup (February 7-13)2022

February 14, 2022/in HR Situation

In the months that have passed since, mounting fears have arisen over the safety and security of Telenor’s 18 million customers. Telenor’s departure could put thousands in danger with the threat of data getting in the hands of the junta. A petition was widely circulated which called for Telenor Group and the Norwegian Government to immediately halt the sale of the company. Additional concerns included the proceeds earned which will only support the regime and embolden them to continue their assaults on the civilian population.

The failure of Telenor Group to comply in line with basic human rights standards led to the Norwegian Forum for Development and Environment submitting a complaint against the leadership of Telenor to the police. A top judge is among those who have suggested that Telenor board members and Norwegian authorities may be ‘aiding and abetting crimes against humanity.’ Data must be safeguarded!

The junta’s voice does not represent the people of Myanmar. And yet, the International Institute of Communications, a group with a reputation for laundering for the Myanmar junta, invited the military’s telecom regulator to speak on a panel regarding citizen protection. Journalists were barred from the event in further evidence of a lack of transparency.

After over one year, the voices of the people in Myanmar are louder and more clear than ever. They are not to be represented by any member of the unlawful, terrorist junta.

KAREN STATE

Displaced villagers in Karen State are fearful for their futures which remain uncertain against the backdrop of unrelenting conflict. Internally displaced people (IDPs) are being forced to seek refuge and live along the banks of the Moei river along the Thai-Myanmar border. Local organizations have estimated that the attacks by the military junta have led to 10 000 villagers from Lay Kaw Kaw and nearby villagers (as many as 4000) being forced to flee.

Thailand’s assistance to those seeking safety a sbeen limited. At the end of January 2022, the government closed Mae Kon Ken village, a temporary village. Since then, the needs of those displaced have been exacerbated exponentially.

Fearing return, villages are forced to make unimaginable decisions. With landmines littering their homelands and an ever increasing presence of the junta, options are limited for safety and refuse. The military’s insincerity and refusal to leave civilian areas in Karen State ast the request of the Karen National Union (KNU) led to the armed group refusing the junta’s invitation to ‘preliminary peace talks’ at Union Day held on 12 February.

KAYAH (KARENNI)

Over 170 000 people have been displaced in Karenni (Kayah) State, with the military junta controlling less than 10 percent of the State as a result of sharp resistance by opposition forces. At least 120 000 are seeking shelter in buildings and forests throughout Karenni (Kayah) State. In a joint briefing paper released by the Karenni Human Rights Group and ND-Burma, The World Must Know, it was concluded that despite repeated calls by civil society organizations and international bodies to the military junta to immediately cease their assaults on civilian lives, the atrocities are incessant.

Yet another Karenni (Kayah) IDP camp was struck by artillery firing by the military junta in Demawso Township. The attack led to one civilian injury, and several buildings being destroyed. Now, once again, the IDPs have been forced to flee amid mounting stress over the safety of designated camps. This comes as Internet and phone blackouts have been worsening in Karenni (Kayah) State. Communication blackouts have been intentionally imposed by the military junta to make it more difficult for civilians to access information on the situation and where to seek safety.

In January 2022 alone, at least 45 people were killed by indiscriminate firing by the military junta.

SAGAING REGION

Approximately forty civilians were killed in less than two weeks by the junta in the conflict-torn Sagaing region. Those killed include women and children in four townships. Between January 28 and February 6 alone, over 38 villagers were killed during military raids. Amid an ongoing scorched earth campaign, 5000 more residents were forced to flee on 10 February following homes raided and burned down in four villages in Mingin and Taze townships. During the raid, almost all of the homes in Moktha Village (178 out of 200) were burned down.

On 4 February, bodies of elevan civilians were found after the junta deployed an airstrike on a PDF base during a graduation ceremony. The attack killed nearly two dozen civilians. The harsh conditions of the weather and unsettling fears of attacks has left civilians traumatized and have particularly made for additional hardships for the most vulnerable, including the elderly.

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Bodies of four civilians found in Sagaing after soldiers burn down two villages

February 14, 2022/in News

Another seven villagers are still missing following the attacks last week

Local resistance fighters discovered the bodies of four civilians in a rural area of Sagaing’s Mingin Township last week after junta soldiers and Pyu Saw Htee militiamen burned down two nearby villages.

Three of the bodies, one of which had been burned to ashes, were discovered by a stream in Ngar Nandar village, which is close to the neighbouring villages of Mauk Tet and Mote Thar.

The junta’s forces torched most of the 300 houses in Mote Thar and Mauk Tet early on Thursday morning, sparing only around 80 homes that belonged to supporters of the military, a local woman said.

Around 1,000 people have been displaced from the villages and are in need of food supplies, she added.

The raids came a day after local People’s Defence Force (PDF) fighters killed three during an attack on a military outpost in nearby Sana Pyin village. The PDF fighters seized an MA-2 light machine gun and a carbine rifle in the attack.

The four villagers killed by the junta’s forces were identified as Naing Soe Lin, a 21-year-old vegetable seller, as well as three volunteer village guards named Kaung Min San, 18, Than Min Soe, 24, and Naing Zaw, 28.

Naing Soe Lin’s body was found with a bullet hole in the forehead near Mote Thar, which is where he lived.

His wife has gone missing and his house has been burned to the ground, said the local woman, who is a member of the anti-junta People’s Administration Team for Mingin Township.

“We don’t know if Naing Soe Lin’s wife was killed in the fire or abducted by the junta’s forces,” said a 28-year-old villager from Mote Thar.

The other three bodies were found together. Than Min Soe’s body had been burned on a haystack, while the bodies of Kaung Min San and Naing Zaw were found with bullet wounds in their eyes.

Local defence force members made the discovery when they travelled to Mote Thar and Mauk Tet to assess the damage from the fires on Thursday evening.

Photos showed that one of the guards had a kyat-coin wide bullet on his right eye. The other person was seen to have lost all his teeth and his right eye was muddled with blood.

Than Min Soe, who villagers believed was burned to death, leaves behind a four-year-old son. Naing Zaw leaves behind a three-year-old son and seven-year-old daughter.

The villages of Mote Thar and Mauk Tet that were torched

Mote Thar and Mauk Tet were torched by a unit of around 200 soldiers who have been based in the nearby villages of Taung Phyu and Pan Set along with Pyu Saw Htee members.

Seven villagers, including Naing Soe Lin’s wife, are still missing after the attacks.

Mingin.jpeg

The bodies of four civilians were found on the evening of February 10 (Supplied)

The Mingin People’s Administration Team believes the soldiers had help from informants with local knowledge, since they knew which houses belonged to people with military personnel in their families.

Junta information officers did not answer calls seeking comment on the arson attacks and the killings.

Last last month soldiers set fires in three other villages in Mingin–Bin, Western Bin and Onnabote– and used 37 civilians as human shields, including elderly people, breastfeeding mothers and children.

In July last year junta forces in Mingin captured 57 PDF fighters at once with the help of Pyu Saw Htee members.

Myanmar Now News

Spring Revolution

Civil Society Position Paper on ASEAN’s Goal of a Myanmar-Owned and -Led SolutionDecember 18, 2024 - 12:11 pm
Recommendations to ASEAN and Its Member States (1) Move beyond the 5PC to achieve a Myanmar people-led and people-centered solution to the crisis in Myanmar. ASEAN’s “Myanmar-owned and -led” approach must be backed by genuine political will that aligns with and supports the collective aspirations of the people of Myanmar. (2) Cease all pressure on […]
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Human Rights Situation weekly update (September 15 to 21, 2024)September 27, 2024 - 8:26 am
Human Rights Violations took place in States and Regions from Sep 15 to 21, 2024 Military Junta Troop launched airstrikes and dropped bombs in Sagaing Region, Mandalay Region, Shan State, Chin State, Rakhine State, and Kachin State from September 15th to 21st. The Military Junta committed arresting, occupying the properties, threatening by using power, and […]

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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.

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