Deadly reprisals: regime steps up attacks on civilians in retaliation for conflict losses in northern Burma
This briefing paper provides an update of human rights violations by the regime’s security forces in urban and
rural areas of Kachin State and Muse District of northern Shan State during April and May, 2021.
Due to the previous deadly crackdowns, anti-coup protests have mostly been small flash mobs, but the security forces have continued to use live ammunition against unarmed protesters, killing two men, in Bhamo and
Hpakant. They have also continued hunting out activists in urban areas, arresting sixty-one people during the
two months, including NLD members, doctors, journalists, and youth leaders.
In rural areas, in response to losses inflicted by the KIA, the regime’s forces have stepped up brutal reprisals
against civilians, including torture, arbitrary shooting, and shelling of residential areas – in flagrant violation
of international humanitarian law.
Youth in Myitkyina, Mohnyin and Kamaing have been arbitrarily arrested and tortured for suspected links to
the KIA. This included three boys under 18 returning from playing football, who were detained in a military
base for 12 days, beaten in the head with guns and burned with cigarettes.
Random shooting by security forces of innocent civilians has taken place in several areas. There were four
such incidents in Mogaung township alone, where civilians were shot at while riding motorcycles, buying
betelnut, and attending a funeral ceremony; the shootings left two villagers dead, and three injured.
There has been a sharp escalation of shelling into civilian areas, particularly along the Dawhpumyang-Momauk highway in southeast Kachin State. This was in direct retaliation for KIA gains in the area, including
the recapture of the Alaw Bum mountaintop base on March 25, and the shooting down of a regime helicopter
on May 3. Between April 10 and May 24, artillery attacks on five villages and on Momauk town killed nine
villagers – including three women and a 14-year-old boy — and injured fifteen, including three children.
These direct attacks on civilians have caused large-scale displacement, with over 6,000 new IDPs fleeing to
Momauk and Bhamo towns. Their former homes are now occupied by Burma Army troops from the notorious
elite infantry divisions 77, 88 and 99, who have been looting villagers’ property, livestock and food.
There are growing numbers of IDPs in other townships, including Injanyang, where about 600 IDPs are sheltering in a KIA-controlled area. These IDPs are in urgent need of aid, as the regime is blocking all humanitarian access from within the country to areas under KIA control.
As civilian casualties and displacement figures continue to mount, we appeal urgently for concerted international pressure on the illegitimate coup regime to end violence against civilians, release all political prisoners
and pull back troops across the country.
We reiterate our call for foreign governments to impose economic and diplomatic sanctions on the regime, and
to endorse the National Unity Government as the legitimate government of Burma.
We call for a global arms embargo on Burma, and also for a no-fly zone over the country. We urge neighbouring countries, including China, to stop the regime from using their airspace to launch attacks.
We urge foreign donors to provide humanitarian aid cross-border to the IDPs in ethnic areas.
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