Burma Army Attacks Continue in Kachin State

The conflict, which has lasted for more than two years, has seen the displacement of an estimated 80,000 Kachin people and reports of human rights abuses continue to emerge.

Free Burma Rangers, a humanitarian organization that delivers aid to displaced people, expressed concern over ongoing Burma Army attacks, including the alleged looting of a village in January by government forces.

FBR said that government troops had occupied Nam Gau Village in Kachin State on January 30, and proceeded to loot it.

“They [Burma Army] looted the village, destroyed and scattered the families’ belongings, taking captives and 24 trucks with over 100 tons of wood back to the area between Nam Han and Kong Run.” FBR said in a report from February 9th. Twenty villagers were also captured, and up until yesterday, only half had been released, FBR said.

According to the FBR report, Kachin Independence Army (KIA) forces arrived at the village and fought with government troops later that evening and into the next day, with the KIA forces eventually being forced to retreat with three casualties, including one killed.

Burma Army offensives had also been reported by FBR as recently as February 7, with the most recent displacements of people being in November and December 2013, when over 2,000 people fled, armed conflict.

In the area surrounding Nam Gau village there have been over 200 attacks in the past three years, FBR said.

Human Rights Watch in their 2014 World Report criticized Burma’s Government for overseeing continued and serious human rights violations in ethnic states, notably Kachin and Shan States.

“Humanitarian access to IDPs has been uneven and insufficient, with some local Burmese army commanders denying access that national-level authorities previously granted.” HRW said.