Mass killings rock Myanmar’s Kayah State

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I had been posting occasional articles about the situation in Myanmar but despite great resistance from the people and international sanctions, the violence continued unchecked. An ineffectual ASEAN did next to nothing in the way of contributing to a solution. Likewise the UN, stymied by opposition from China and Russia, also seemed to lose interest.   However, this account in today's Thai Enquirer screams out to be heard.

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By Caleb Quinley

The Myanmar junta has ratcheted up attacks on civilians in Kayah State, (Karenni) in eastern Myanmar, pushing over 100,000 civilians to flee for their lives.

The military has launched at least a dozen airstrikes since Saturday, targeting residential areas with rockets from both the sky and ground, according to local reports. Many areas in Kayah’s capital have been completely destroyed over the weekend.

Some estimates say that around half the population of Kayah, about 125,000 people, are reported to be displaced after the indiscriminate attacks. But the army, known as the Tatmadaw, has a long history of using violence on their own people.

The Tatmadaw announced last week that they would give residents in Loikaw, the capital of Kayah State, three days to leave the area before shelling the city.

Naw Diamond, a mother of two young children is one of the thousands who recently fled the violence in Loikaw over the last few days. She told Thai Enquirer that it’s simply not safe anymore and she fears for her family’s safety.

“Leaving everything behind is really difficult for me,” Diamond said. “ I never thought that I would have to flee my home. I tried my best to resist and decided not to leave [in the beginning]. But I have to consider the safety of my mom and my children.”

As she fled, Diamond worried for her mother’s health as she suffers from high blood pressure. When she arrived in Taunggyi, the capital of Shan State, she needed to go straight to a hospital so her mother could see a doctor.

Since the Feb 1 coup, the Myanmar military has killed at least 1,200 people and detained thousands of others. Over the last year, the Tatmadaw turned it’s weapons on its own civilians at peaceful protests in urban centers, killing women and children and injuring countless others. Now the military has ramped up its assault on resistance fighters in rural parts of the country.

Junta forces announced that the attacks in Kayah were targeting resistance fighters known to be living in the area. Many say it’s the heaviest bombardment of a major city in recent history, or at least since the Feb 1 coup.

“The situation in Karenni [Kayah] is the worst it’s been since World War II,” David Eubank told Thai Enquirer. “There’s now over 100,000 displaced since last week with the heightened strikes in Loikaw areas.”

Eubank is the founder and leader of the Free Burma Rangers (FBR), a multi-ethnic relief organization that offers medical aid and training at the frontlines of some of the world’s worst conflicts.

Speaking from the hills of Karen State, he explained that the attacks have been continuous, noting an increase of aircraft strikes from helicopters as well as armored vehicles used to devastate civilian zones. FBR lost two rangers in recent clashes with Tatmadaw troops.

Despite the attacks, defense groups like the The Karenni Nationalities Defense Force (KNDF), say the Tatmadaw has suffered many casualties, while reports indicate that numerous soldiers are deserting the Myanmar army.

One of the most brutal attacks took place on Christmas day where at least 35 people were killed. The military set fire to more than 30 civilians in their vehicles. The victims were women, children and two employees of the charity Save the Children. Many of the victims had their hands tied behind their backs, were gagged, and had shown signs that they had been either stabbed or shot in the chest.

In other attacks over the weekend, junta troops killed four teens after clashes in Tanintharyi province. The bodies of 10 people, including a 13-year-old child, were reportedly used by the army as human shields in Chin State, according to local news group, Myanmar Now.

https://www.thaienquirer.com/36412/over-100000-displaced-as-attacks-mass-killings-rock-myanmars-kayah-state/