A Shan rights group alleges that government soldiers committed human rights abuses during a recent military offensive against the forces of the Shan State Progressive Party-Shan State Army (SSPP-SSA) in Ke See Township in Central Shan State.
Shan Human Rights Foundation has documented the arrest and torture of five villagers, and the house arrest of seven women including a heavily pregnant woman during the 12th-18th October clashes.
According to the foundation’s 22nd October report, on 12th October seven women and girls from Wan Ngu Lerm and Wan Pasaung were detained by troops. They were ordered to remain in the house of a teacher and forbidden from leaving the house for six days. The elder sister of the house owner was pregnant and at first the troops would not let her leave the house. However, later she was allowed to leave for a hospital in Ke See to give birth.
On 13th October shells were again fired into a civilian area, damaging housing and killing livestock, and causing over 180 villagers to seek shelter in a local temple.
The shelling and abuses took place in villages which lie in an area from which the SSPP-SSA were ordered to withdraw on 8th October by the Kholam-based government Army Central Eastern Command. The SSPP-SSA had refused to withdraw, since they claimed this area has been under their jurisdiction for decades, and the current Army operations and pressure to move were a violation of their ceasefire agreement.
On 13th October, before an Army helicopter landed at one of their nearby bases, one of the Army units fired over 20 mortar shells from their base in Wan Ta Pharn village into Pan Ze village and the surrounding area, damaging a house and forcing 180 villagers to take refuge in Pan Ze temple.
The report claims this Army unit has also been taking and eating food and supplies from Pan Ze villagers, till they have almost run out.
Three male villagers from Wan Ngu Lerm village were arrested and accused of being Shan soldiers, interrogated and beaten. On 14th October two farmers were arrested, beaten, and tied up overnight in Pan Ze village.
According to one of the Wan Pasaung villagers, the soldiers stationed around and inside Wan Pasaung have been taking rice, pigs, other food and property from the villagers.
The foundation adds that currently the villagers around the conflict area have been facing shortages of food, since they are forbidden to transport goods and travel.
