On March 27, the KNU Center released a report documenting human rights violations that have taken place in the KNU-administered area since February 1, 2021, — when the military coup took place.
The report titled, “Human lives lost due to the war crimes of the Myanmar military” argues that the actions of military council forces have resulted in the death of over 200 civilians and injuries to 500 people, all within two years of the military coup.
The report notes that since the military coup, more than 7,500 battles have taken place between the KNU-affiliated army, and the State Administrative Council’s army.
The report also charges that the SAC military council’s army has committed nearly 1,500 human rights violations. These include using aircraft and heavy weapons to attack villages, carrying out arbitrary arrests, detentions and killings, using civilians as human shields, forcing porters into service, and burning down and looting villages.
More than 365,000 people in the Kawtoolei Administrative area alone have fled due increasingly hostile actions of the Military Councils forces. Individuals fleeing the affected areas remain in dire need of immediate humanitarian aid.
More than 1,300 individuals have been subjected to arbitrary arrests and used as human shields. Several of those arrested remain detained, with no news of their whereabouts or release dates.
The report says the military council’s use of heavy and small arms fire and airstrikes resulted in the destruction of 20 buildings, 6 hospitals, 13 schools, 8 monasteries and nunneries, 6 churches, and 882 residential houses. Military council troops have also increased their presence in 6 districts.
