A fierce fighting took place between KIA’s 36^th Battalion under 4^th Brigade and a combined force of Burmese army soldiers from 123^rd LIB, 109^th LIB, 45^th LIR and 69^th LIR on July 1 at Yihku village located in Pangsai Township in Northern Shan State. Local sources say 26 Kachin villagers from Yihku village have been arrested and taken away by Burmese soldiers. So far 23 villagers have been released and 3 villagers are still in detention.

Danglau Gam, Yihku village elder, mediated and appealed for the release of 26 villagers. All have been release but 3 villagers accused of being connected to KIA. Burmese soldiers forced them to confess that they are KIA soldiers and threatened to kill them if they do not make confession, said a local villager.

After 23 villagers were released, Danglau Gam requested to Burmese army to release remaining 3 villagers, Galau Bawm Ying, Jaufa Ning and Jaufa Yin, as they are ordinary civilians. But Danglau Gam was severely beaten on the head for at least three times for asking to release 3 fellow villagers. “they beat me quite hard and I must have been passed out for about 30 minutes,” said Danglau Gam. He continues, “the soldiers took 430 Yuan and 3000 Kyats from my pocket, I had to spent the whole night in a semi-conscious state”. Danglau Gam was later released and taken to Pangsai Hospital for treatment.

As of July 4, 2 more villagers were released from detention. “they have been beaten severely by Burmese soldiers for three days and nights, we can see scars, bruises and cigarette burn marks all over their body,“ said a villager who saw them at Pangsai Kachin Church. Jaufa Yin, one of those being released on July 4, said another villager Galau Bawm Ying was beaten even more badly and the soldiers took him out of the room. Galau Bawm Ying’s condition and whereabouts is still unknown and his family is in great distress.

While the international community is urging to further rewards Burma’s quasi-civilian government  for actions taken so far, the miseries of civilians living in war-torn Kachin and Shan State have been worsen in recent months. Grave human rights violations have escalated and humanitarian situation has deteriorated after Thein Sein-led government assumed power in March, 2011.