Burma Army Troops Killed and Burned Four Kachin Villagers

Burmese Army’s 502nd Light Infantry Regiment (LIR) troops under Kyauk Me-based 1st Military Operations Command killed and torched 4 Kachin villagers near Manlun Ban Hkan village in Nampaka, located between Kut Kai and Muse in northern Shan State.

The 4 coal miners, Mahaw La Ja (21), Lahtaw Hkun Hpung (18), Maran Yaw Han (20), Doi Ring (43) were arrested by Burmese army’s 502^nd LIR troops on Jan 25 while they were on their way to a coal mine near Manlun Ban Hkan. Families of those men haven’t heard of their whereabouts for about a week.

On Jan 31, Ban Hkan villagers discovered 4 badly burnt bodies near their village. A funeral service led by Christian ministers was held today for the 4 coal miners.

Locals found three bodies were burned together and another one body was burned just a few yards away.

Hkun Hpung’s mother identified her son’s leg from the remains. Other families had a hard time identifying and putting the burned body parts for their loved ones, said a local source.