By Shoon Naing / Myanmar Times | January 17, 2017

Amnesty International yesterday called on the government to launch an immediate investigation into the whereabouts of two Kachin Baptist Church leaders who disappeared on December 24. The two men were last seen near a military outpost in Shan State’s Mong Koe township.

“Amnesty International is concerned that Dumdaw Nawng Lat and Langjaw Gam Seng may be victims of enforced disappearance,” the rights group said in a statement yesterday. “A missing person’s report was filed by relatives with the Muse township police station on January 4, however, no information about the fate or whereabouts of the two men has been obtained.”

The London-based organisation also launched a petition campaign, encouraging concerned civilians to write to the state counsellor, the Union Minster of Home Affairs and the Myanmar National Human Rights Commission.

The two church leaders had reportedly assisted journalists working on a story about occupation, bombing and then rebuilding the Mong Koe church before their disappearance.

“Local sources believe the men may have been detained by Myanmar authorities for their role in organising a visit by journalists in late November 2016,” said Amnesty International.

U Zaw Htay, President’s Office spokesperson, has denied that the Tatmadaw was involved in the disappearance. He could not be reached for comment yesterday.

Laura Haigh, Amnesty International’s Myanmar Researcher, said, “The government must take immediate action to investigate what happened to

[the two church leaders] – failure to do so would send a worrying message that the NLD-led government is not taking allegations of human rights violations seriously.”

This article originally appeared on Myanmar Times on January 17, 2017.

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