Several Kachin women and girls of Chyi Chya village were gang-raped by Burmese Army soldiers, Hpuk Law Dau Hkawng, a BGF soldier of No. 1002 battalion told in a recent phone call to Pangwa. He said Burmese soldiers who are clearing Pangwa-Chipwi road surrounded Chyi Chya village and arrested all men in the village and put them in a house. The soldiers then gathered all women and girls into a house belong to former NDA-K commander Mangkyi Hkawng Shawng and took turn raping them.
On May 1, the Burmese Army’s commander held a meeting with BGF commander Wo Lau. Burmese commander asked Wo Lau to take care of the security in mountain areas and told him that Burmese Army will begin an operation to clear Pangwa-Chipwi road.
In last week, a number of BGF soldiers who were often forced to accompany Burmese Army to fight Kachin troops defected to KIA side and tried to take control of Pangwa.
Burmese Army razed houses in Zi Kahtawng village in Nam San Yang, located on Myitkyina-Laiza road on May 2. Local sources say they found 7 houses burnt down and crops destroyed. Since renewed fighting began in last June, Burmese government forces launched an intentional campaign of terror, murder, rape and bomb local villages to weaken civilian supports for KIO/KIA.
Fighting continues in KIA’s 5th Brigade areas as Kachin People Army (MHH), set up and supported by Kachin Independence Army with the aim of protecting and defending their own villages, deterred the advance of around 70 Burmese government soldiers near Zi Kahtawng in Nam Sam Yang. Another fierce fighting takes place near Gara Yang on Myitkyina-Bamaw road and Daw Hpum Yang on May 2nd and 3rd.
Burmese government led by President Thein Sein began some reforms since it took office in last March, but a genuine political change has not yet started for ethnic nationalities demanding their rights for more than half a century. Fighting has escalated in Kachin areas as more and more government troops are being deployed. Though Burmese government pushed for a new ceasefire agreement, KIO asked Burmese government to honor the existing 1994 ceasefire agreement by positioning Burmese Army to agreed areas.
