Chin Human Rights Group has said they will encourage the Chin National Front (CNF) and Myanmar Human Rights Commission to look into violations of human rights in Chin State.
Published on Sunday, 21 September 2014 | 07:34
Chin Human Rights Group has said they will encourage the Chin National Front (CNF) and Myanmar Human Rights Commission to look into violations of human rights in Chin State.
Lyuan Bwetan, who handles domestic affairs for the Chin Human Rights Group, said that the group would press both groups to form a Chin State Human Rights Committee, as per an agreement in the ceasefire deal between the government and the CNF.
Lyuan said although there was a ceasefire agreement in Chin State violations of human rights still persist. And while human rights have undergone a transformation in recent years, not enough has been done to boost people’s rights – public awareness needs to be boosted.
Most human rights violations in Chin State relate to violations of religious freedom, forced land grabs, illegally use of power, and oppression of local people, he said.
The government needed to give special attention so that rights violations don’t occur in areas where ceasefire agreements have achieved. The Myanmar Human Rights Commission needed to be set up in all entire states and regions, he said.
“The Myanmar Human Rights Commission is doing their work slower than what we’ve expected. We welcomed the forming of a human rights commission in Myanmar and we accept that some of their deeds are fair. But the Commission must be an independent organisation. It must be free from bias and accept no influence from any organisations. Take a look at the Myanmar Human Rights Commission – is the Commission free and fair? We have many questions to rise,” Lyuan Bwetan said.
The Chin Human Rights Group is currently speaking to villagers in Paletwa, who claimed that they were beaten by Col Tin Htut Oo of No.344 Infantry Regiment, under the Western Command Headquarters, after he accused villagers of communicating with the CNF.
Salai Isaac Khin, director of the Gender Development Initiative, said: “We have reported the case to the Chin State government formally. According to the latest data we’ve received, the No-344 Infantry Regiment has to apologise to the villagers. But it is far more important to not repeat the same things in the future rather than apologising. We desire transparent action to be taken. We want to believe that oppressing villagers isn’t a desire of the entire Army. To believe such a thing, how the Army takes action against committed military men is very important.”
The Myanmar Human Rights Commission was formed on September 5, 2011 by President Thein Sein and it is made up of 15 members. To get more authority to act, a new commission needs to set up according to the Myanmar Human Rights Commission bill passed by Parliament in March.
