Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission has received information that two ethnic Kachin teachers have been tortured, sexual assaulted, and murdered. The two girls were volunteer teachers for the Kachin Baptist Church serving in a village near to the conflict area between Burma army and the Kachin armed group in Northern Shan State. They were tortured and killed in their room at the local church while the military was camped nearby.
CASE NARRATIVE:
Maran Lu Ra, 21 and Tangbau Hkown Nan Tsin, 20 ( File Photos)
On the morning of 20 January 2015, two young volunteer school teachers were found dead in their rooms at the Baptist Church in Kaung Kha village, in the Northern Shan State. The two girls, Maran Lu Ra and Tangbau Hkown Nan Tsin, were Ethnic Kachin teachers volunteering for the Kachin Baptist Church and served in Kaung Kha village for two years before they were killed. Their bodies were found by villagers in their room in the dormitory in church compound.
The villagers found the bodies bloodied, bearing signs of having been beaten with a blunt instrument, and one of the girls had knife wounds on her face and hands. Both women were found in a state of undress which indicates sexual assault or rape. The room in which they were found was messed up and one of the victims was found with some hair in her hand, suggesting a struggle. A large, bloodstained stick was found near the bodies.
Kaung Kha village is located near to the border of the Kachin State and has around 25 houses. The Burmese military columns pass through the village whenever conflict arises between the army and ethnic Kachin militants. A few days before the women were killed, an Army battalion arrived. They were camped 100 metres away from the scene of the crime while the women were attacked and killed. While there is no record of them harming these villagers before, the Burmese Army has been accused of perpetrating sexual violence in conflict area elsewhere. As a result of their reputation and proximity to the crime, many people suspect the perpetrators are Burmese soldiers.
The bodies have been sent to a hospital in Muse for autopsy, but the reports are yet to be published by the Judicial Medical Officer. However, on the basis of information received from a nurse, the Irrawaddy reported that the doctors found sperm inside the bodies of the victims, and that it needed to be sent to a hospital in Lashio for further investigation.
Further details of the case are in the sample letter below, as usual.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The military in Myanmar has long enjoyed impunity for offences committed against civilians, and despite recent political changes, prosecutions of errant soldiers are extremely rare. The AHRC issued a dossier of cases from Kachin State in which many perpetrators were military personnel (AHRC-PRL-002-2013), and an appeal regarding a man who was prosecuted for lodging complaints about the military murdering his daughter (AHRC-UAC-080-2013).
For more cases and issues concerning human rights in Burma, visit the AHRC’s country homepage: www.humanrights.asia/countries/burma.
REQUESTED ACTION:
Please write a letter to the following government authorities for independent investigation to be conducted and to find the perpetrators to be arrested as soon as possible.
Please also be informed that the AHRC is writing separate letters to the Special Rapporteurs on human rights in Myanmar, the Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women, and the regional office of the OHCHR in Bangkok, calling for their interventions into this matter.
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear …………,
BURMA/MYANMAR: Two teachers tortured, sexual assaulted, and murdered by soldiers
Names of Victims: Maran Lu Ra, 21 and Tangbau Hkown Nan Tsin, 20
Date of Incident:19-20 January 2014
Place of Incident: Kaung Kha village, Kutkai Township, Northern Shan State, Myanmar
I am horrified to hear that two young volunteer school teachers were raped and brutally murdered in Northern Shan State. According to the information I received, on the morning of 20 January 2015, two young volunteer school teachers were found dead in their rooms at the Baptist Church in Kaung Kha village, in the Northern Shan State. The two girls, Maran Lu Ra and Tangbau Hkown Nan Tsin, were Ethnic Kachin teachers volunteering for the Kachin Baptist Church and served in Kaung Kha village for two years before they were killed. Their bodies were found by villagers in their room in the dormitory in church compound.
The villagers found the bodies bloodied, bearing signs of having been beaten with a blunt instrument, and one of the girls had knife wounds on her face and hands. Both women were found in a state of undress which indicates sexual assault or rape. The room in which they were found was messed up and one of the victims was found with some hair in her hand, suggesting a struggle. A large, bloodstained stick was found near the bodies.
Kaung Kha village is located near to the border of the Kachin State and has around 25 houses. The Burmese military columns pass through the village whenever conflict arises between the army and ethnic Kachin militants. A few days before the women were killed, the No. 503 Light Infantry Battalion, 1st Military Operations Command (MOC-1) under South Eastern Command arrived. They were camped 100 metres away from the scene of the crime while the women were attacked and killed. While there is no record of them harming these villagers before, the Burmese Army has been accused of perpetrating sexual violence in conflict area elsewhere. As a result of this reputation and their proximity to the crime many people reasonably suspect the perpetrators are Burmese soldiers.
The bodies have been sent to a hospital in Muse for autopsy, but the reports are yet to be published by the Judicial Medical Officer. However, on the basis of information received from a nurse, the Irrawaddy reported that the doctors found sperm inside the bodies of the victims, and that it needed to be sent to a hospital in Lashio for further investigation.
Therefore, I urge the authorities to make sure that there is an investigation, and that the investigation is independent, transparent, and creditable. The report of forensic doctor must also be free from any interference by the military, and the perpetrators must be arrested and prosecuted as soon as possible.
Yours sincerely,
…………………………..
PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:
Senior General Min Aung Hlaing
Commander-in -Chief of Myanmar Defence Services
Office of the Commender-in-Chief of Defence Services
Government Resident
Naypyitaw
MYANMAR
- Lt-Gen. Ko Ko
Minister for Home Affairs
Ministry of Home Affairs
Office No. 10
Naypyitaw
MYANMAR
Tel: 
+95 67 412 079 / 549 393/ 549 663
Fax: +95 67 412 439
- U Thein Sein
President of Myanmar
President Office
Office No.18
Naypyitaw
MYANMAR
- Thura U Aung Ko
Chairman
Pyithu Hluttaw Judicial and Legislative Committee
Pythu Hluttaw Office
Naypyitaw
MYANMAR
- U Aung Nyein
Chairman
Pyithu Hluttaw Judicial and Legislative Committee
Committee for Public Complaints and Appeals
Office of the Amyotha Hluttaw
Naypyitaw
MYANMAR
- Daw Aung San Suu Kyi
Chairwoman
Pyithu Hluttaw Rule of Law and Tranquility Committee
Office of the Pyithu Hluttaw
Naypyitaw
MYANMAR
- U Win Mra
Chairman
Myanmar National Human Rights Commission
27 Pyay Road
Hlaing Township
Yangon
MYANMAR
Tel: +95 1 659 668
Fax: +95 1 659 668
- U Tun Tun Oo
Chief Justice
Office of the Supreme Court
Office No. 24
Naypyitaw
MYANMAR
Tel: + 95 67 404 080 / 071/ 078/ 067 or + 95 1 372 145
Fax: + 95 67 404 059
- Dr. Tun Shin
Attorney General
Office of the Attorney General
Office No. 25
Naypyitaw
MYANMAR
Tel: +95 67 404 088 / 090/ 092/ 094/ 097
Fax: +95 67 404 146/ 106
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ua@ahrc.asia)
