February 15, 2012
Christian Solidarity Worldwide reports ongoing and continuous grave human rights violations being committed by the Burma Army against Christian civilians in Kachin State and other ethnic states. The Burma Army has been waging an offensive against ethnic civilians since breaking a 17-year ceasefire with the Kachin Independent Organization/Army in June. In a recent three-week fact-finding visit to the area, CSW heard first-hand testimonies from internally displaced people from Kachin and Shan states of killings, torture, rape and the destruction of churches, homes and villages by the Burma Army. "These were unarmed civilians, in their paddy fields or homes, who were not engaged in armed combat in any form," said Benedict Rogers, CSW's East Asia team leader. "The accounts of torture and other abuses are a cause for very grave concern and ... require an urgent and sustained response from the international community."
