Jinghpaw Wunpawng Amyu Sha Hpung

Kachin National Organization

Email: info@kachinland.org , Website: www.kachinland.org

PRESS RELEASE
February 3, 2015

KACHIN NATIONAL ORGANIZATION CALLS FOR THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO

TAKE ACTION AGAINST THE BURMA ARMYS MOST HORRIFIC WAR CRIMES ON KACHIN
CIVILIANS

The Kachin National Organization (KNO) has received confirmed reports that Burma Army soldiers from 502nd Light
Infantry Regiment (LIR) killed and burned four Kachin villagers near Manlun Ban Hkan village in Nampaka, northern
Shan State. The four villagers, Mahaw La Ja (21), Lahtaw Hkun Hpung (18), Maran Yaw Han (20) and Doi Ring (43),
were abducted by soldiers from Burma army LIR-502 on Jan 25 while on their way to a coal mine near Manlun Ban
Hkan. The family members of the missing men have not heard of their whereabouts for a week. Subsequently, Ban
Hkan villagers discovered their badly burnt bodies near their village on Jan 31st and provided a Christian burial service
on February 1st.

On February 3rd Kum Din Naw Awn (20) a miner in Jat Gat mine, Hpakant region, was killed by a Burma army mortar
shell. Four of his friends, La Sam, Tun Thein, San Lin Aung, and Ai Lin, came to watch over his body were abducted
by Burma army soldiers and taken to the Hpakant Burma military post. They are currently still being held and
interrogated.

The investigation of the brutal rape and murder of two young Kachin teachers Maran Lu Ra (20) and Tangbau Hkawn
Nan Tsin (21) in Kawng Kha, northern Shan State has been seriously and intentionally compromised by the threatening
announcements from the Burma army stating that the Tatmadaw [Burma army] will take action based on the rule of
law against those who accuse the Burma army of involvement in this case. The investigation team is completely under
the influence of the Burma army, thus the outcome of the result and the integrity of the findings would never be
accurate. More worryingly we are very concerned that the Burma army would frame innocent people as scapegoats as
they have done in the past.

The savage brutality of these cases are shockingly similar. These crimes are the result of carefully planned war crimes
committed by Burma army to control resources in the area. Since the 1960s the Burmese government and Burma army
has used rape as a weapon of war and extra judicial killings against ethnic populations. Since 2010, 118 cases of sexual
violence against ethnic women by the Burma army has been document by the Womens League of Burma. These war
crimes have never been punished and are escalating to an alarming level under the President Thein Sein government
and Chief of Staff Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.

We urgently call the international community to act on the following points:

To charge Commander in Chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, President Thein Sein and their associates with
War Crimes and Crimes against Humanity and bring to trial in the International Criminal Court (ICC).

To provide an independent investigative team composed of investigators, forensic and crime scene experts in the
field of conflict related sexual violence and crimes against humanity. This team must include an expert from the
Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary General on Sexual Violence in Conflict (SRSG-SVC).

The UN to include Burma with a top priority in under the UN Action Against Sexual Violence in Conflict to
implement its Six Priorities of the Office.

The Burma army Tatmadaw has been committing genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and ethnic
cleansing, therefore, we are calling on the international community, especially the UN to empower the local Kachin
community and organizations to provide appropriate diplomatic, humanitarian means to protect populations (the
Responsibility to Protect) from these crimes.

Immediately cease all military to military engagement with the Burma army.
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I was shocked by the terror of Burmese army soldiers committed in the past ten days. Burmese military generals have
been getting away with war crimes they have committed for several decades, they should have no redemption
whatsoever, regardless of which government comes into power in Burma. They must face war crimes perpetrated
against the Kachin people and other ethnic brethren, said Hkanhpa Sadan, Secretary of Kachin National Council. We
are appealing to the international community to help us to bring these war criminals to justice.

For more information contact Hkanhpa Sadan on +44(0) 7944 240 774

In Northern Shan State contact Lahtaw Hkun Hpung family on +95 (0) 9312 50590 (Burma)