Three civilians were killed by two government soldiers who opened fire in an attack that eye witnesses have described as unprovoked. One man survived the attack and is receiving care in a hospital in Kachin state capital Myitkyina.
According to an account given by the witnesses, four Lisu villagers were travelling south by motorbike on the road from Putao to Myitkyina when they were pulled over by soldiers Light Infantry Division-33, about forty-two miles from Myitkyina. The soldiers shot at the villagers. Two of the men were instantly killed, another died shortly after. According to locals, the Light Infantry Division-33 has been in the area since early December.
Meanwhile in Laiza, the Burma army has been pounding the Kachin Independence Organization’s (KIO) headquarters with artillery fire, planes and helicopters for the last several weeks. Three civilians were killed and four injured last Monday after being struck by 105-mm howitzers canons while huddled around a campfire. The government has denied responsibility for the deaths, and even that the military is attacking the headquarters.
The US government failed to criticize the Thein Sein government for the recent attacks, but stated that both parties should engage in political dialogue. They also called on the government to grant the UN unfettered access to the estimated 100,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Kachin state.
