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Southeast Myanmar Field Report: COVID-19, armed conflict, landmines and sexual violence, January to June 2020

Countries
Myanmar
Sources
KHRG
Publication date
Origin
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Introduction

This Field Report analyses information collected by KHRG field researchers and covers the period between January and June 2020.

Although Myanmar reported its first case of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)[1] on March 23rd 2020, official lockdown measures (on the part of the Myanmar government) did not get put into place until mid-April. Limited by local travel restrictions, KHRG began collecting information in early May 2020 primarily by conducting telephone interviews with villagers and local leaders. Thus far, there have been few reported cases of COVID-19 in KHRG’s operation area, suggesting that there was some degree of effectiveness to the measures undertaken in curbing the spread of the virus to these rural areas.

From the information collected, a few trends have emerged. Prevention measures and access to information have varied considerably across the seven districts. This variation is tied to issues of control and the complex political dynamics between the Myanmar government and Ethnic Armed Organisations (EAOs) in Southeast Myanmar. Because tensions between the different political actors is placing villagers at greater risk, independent international organisations may need to play a stronger role in service delivery in order to ensure that all villagers are getting the information and resources they need to protect themselves. Facilitating health worker and NGO access to areas is also imperative. The already unstable livelihood situation of most villagers puts them at extreme risk the longer the health crisis continues, and is likely to increase local tensions and/or push individuals to adopt dangerous livelihood solutions and strategies if further support is not provided.

The Tatmadaw[2] maintained a strong presence all across Southeast Myanmar over the reporting period, and kept supplying troops, weapons and ammunition to its army camps. It also continued its contentious road construction activities in Mu Traw (Hpapun) District despite the opposition of the local population and the KNU, resulting in several skirmishes with the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA).[3] The fighting affected the freedom of movement of civilians and caused internal displacement in some areas. The Tatmadaw also fired hundreds of mortar shells at villages and livelihood areas, opened fire on civilians and set fire to community forests, leading to the destruction of agricultural land on which civilians rely for their livelihood. Beyond the skirmishes tied to the dismantling of COVID-19 screening checkpoints, it is not clear how COVID-19 has impacted wider issues of militarisation during this period.

The KNLA and the Tatmadaw continued to plant landmines in Mu Traw District in violation of the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement NCA.[4] KHRG documented four landmine incidents involving civilians between January and June 2020, resulting in one death and three people injured. In most of the cases, the victims knew that the area was contaminated, but they had to risk travelling through it to carry out livelihood activities. Given the absence of political will by both the Myanmar government and the relevant armed actors to adopt a moratorium on the use of landmines and to engage in large-scale demining activities, landmine contamination will continue to pose an unacceptable threat to the civilians of Southeast Myanmar in the years to come.

KHRG also received information about four instances of sexual violence during the reporting period; three against children and one against a woman with an intellectual disability. Most of these cases were dealt with by the local village authorities, who in each case privileged informal settlements over criminal charges. Such procedures are common in the rural areas of Southeast Myanmar, and remain one of the main barriers preventing the survivors from accessing justice and reparation. In the case that was processed according to the law by the Myanmar Police Force, the investigation lacked transparency and put an unfair financial burden on the survivor and her relatives. As they could not afford to cover the travel costs for themselves and their witnesses, they were barred from taking an active role in the proceedings.

Lastly, KHRG documented several abuses by armed actors across the region during the reporting period. These included killings, property damage and land confiscation by the Myanmar security forces; as well as the recruitment of child soldiers and arbitrary taxation by members of the Karen National Union (KNU)[5] and the KNLA. In parallel, natural disasters have translated into livelihood difficulties for communities reliant on small-scale farming in Mergui-Tavoy (Tanintharyi Region), Mu Traw and Doo Tha Htoo (Thaton) districts.[6]