The military council has detained 19 locals arrested for the use of human shields in Shwepyiaye (Kathae) village in Phalkhone Township in southern Shan State on October 28th.
The military council has not freed them until November 3rd. The terrorist military council’s troops are stationed on the hill near Kathae village.
An official of the Karenni Nationalities Defence Force (KNDF)- (Phalkhone Zone) said: “The military still detains 19 locals at the Light Infantry Battalion-336 based in Phalkhone. I heard the news that the military will release them if the military’s guns are returned.”
According to the statement by the Phalkhone-PDF, it carried out an attack on the LIB-336 at night on October 22nd. Five soldiers were killed and five guns seized in the attack. There is a hearsay that the military council would exchange 19 detainees with five guns.
The military council is increasing its deployments in downtown Phalkhone. The military council is carrying out the firing of heavy weapons, the destruction of houses, inspection, threats and indiscriminate shootings in downtown and villages, according locals.
An official of the Karenni Human Rights Group strongly condemns the violation of human rights, committing war crime and the violation of humanitarian norms by the terrorist military council’s troops such as the arrest and use of 19 locals as human shields and planting landmines.
U Banyar, Director of the Karenni Human Rights Group said: “The arrest and the use of people as human shields amount to committing the serious violation of human rights. In addition, it is the war crime according to the Geneva Convention. The military is committing it seriously. I would like to call on the military council to avoid a similar incident because it is the worst form of human rights violation which cannot be understandable and forgivable. I would like to warn the military council that those who committed this case shall face severe punishment in the legal bound.”
This is the fourth incident about the arrests and the use of people as human shields in Karenni State and Phalkhone Township in southern Shan State. Before that incident, there were three similar incidents in Loikaw, Phruso and Phalkhone Townships, according to the Karenni Human Rights Group’s records.
Fighting is taking place between the terrorist military council’s troops and a combined force of Phalkhone PDF and the KNDF in Phalkhone Township every day.
Now the total number of the IDPs in Phalkhone Township has reached nearly 2,000.
Sent by Maw Oo Myar (Kantarawaddy Times).