The regime’s armed forces have killed over 350 Chin nationalities and burned down more than 1,500 homes since last year’s coup, a rights group has found. “Chin State is the poorest ethnic state and the least developed…that’s why the deaths and destruction had such a negative impact. People have lost everything of material value,” says Salai Van Sui San, the deputy director of the Institute of Chin Affairs (ICA).
The military has committed serious human rights violations in the state in western Burma and across the country, including attacks on civilians, sexual violence against women and the looting and destruction of villages. Ground troops have repeatedly razed people’s homes after being attacked by resistance groups, and have carried out airstrikes and artillery shelling against villages where there’s been no fighting.
Since the coup some 23 months ago, the regime’s offensives and fighting with resistance groups have led to 40,000 people becoming internally displaced in the state and forced 50,000 Chins to flee to the Indian states of Manipur and Mizoram.
“To stop the violence in our country, it’s not enough for the international community to just make statements and express concern. Effective action must be taken against the military regime,” Salai Van Sui San explained.
Of the fatalities, 169 were ordinary civilians, the rest were Chin soldiers or villagers who took up arms and joined resistance groups to fight the military regime. 24 minors—19 boys and 5 girls—were killed in the violence. 4 Christian pastors died and 10 people were shot for peacefully protesting. Women were raped by the regime’s forces before being murdered.
The military burned the bodies of at least 7 people. The army killed 10 people in Matupi Township after forcing them to serve as human shields, including Pu Tuidim, a founder of Khonumthung News and Burma News International. 3 were killed in airstrikes and 17 died from junta landmines.