On the third anniversary of the abduction of Sumlut Roi Ja, an ethnic Kachin woman from Burma, we, the undersigned organizations, call on the Burmese government to thoroughly investigate her enforced disappearance and hold the perpetrators accountable.
October 28, 2014
On the third anniversary of the abduction of Sumlut Roi Ja, an ethnic Kachin woman from Burma, we, the undersigned organizations, call on the Burmese government to thoroughly investigate her enforced disappearance and hold the perpetrators accountable.
On 28 October 2011, Burma Army soldiers from Light Infantry Battalion 321 abducted 28-year-old Sumlut Roi Ja along with her husband and father-in-law from their family farm near Hkaibang Village, Momauk Township, Kachin State.
Soldiers suspected the three had ties to the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) – an ethnic armed opposition group. The soldiers ordered the three at gunpoint to carry corn to their outpost on Mubum mountain. Sumlut Roi Ja’s husband and father-in-law managed to escape, evading the soldiers’ gunfire, on the way. Witnesses saw Sumlut Roi Ja at the camp several days before she disappeared.
Sumlut Roi Ja’s family members filed numerous petitions asking authorities to disclose her fate or whereabouts. However, both military and civilian authorities have consistently refused to investigate Sumlut Roi Ja’s disappearance and prosecute the soldiers who abducted her. In March 2012, Burma’s Supreme Court rejected a writ of habeas corpus submitted by Sumlut Roi Ja’s husband two months earlier. The Supreme Court claimed there was no evidence that the army had detained Sumlut Roi Ja before her disappearance. Burma Army officials even denied having detained her. Sumlut Roi Ja is still missing and presumed dead.
The case of Sumlut Roi Ja underscores the ongoing serious human rights violations perpetrated by the Burma Army in Kachin State, including the deliberate targeting of civilians in conflict, extra-judicial killings, arbitrary detention, and violence against women. More than 70 cases of sexual violence by Burma Army soldiers against women and young girls in Kachin State and Northern Shan State have been recorded between the resumption of conflict between the Burma Army and the KIA in June 2011 and June 2014. At least 20 of the victims were killed.
As 2014 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Chair, Burma has a particular responsibility to uphold the principles of the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration (AHRD), which stipulates that all individuals have a right to life and to personal liberty and security and that no person shall be subject to arbitrary arrest, search, detention, abduction or any other form of deprivation of liberty. The AHRD also recognizes the right of every person to an effective and enforceable remedy for violations of rights granted by the constitution or by law.
Information Source : www.fidh.org
Image Source : mizzimaenglish.blogspot.com
Objective
We, the undersigned organizations, urge the Burmese government to:
- Establish an independent and impartial parliamentary commission with a mandate to investigate the disappearance of Sumlut Roi Ja and identify the perpetrators.
- Ensure that perpetrators in this case are brought to justice, regardless of rank or position.
- Sign and ratify the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance (ICPPED) and incorporate its provisions into national law as a matter of priority.
- Immediately cease violations of international humanitarian and human rights law against ethnic minority civilians in conflict and ceasefire areas, including violence against women.
Target Institution
Burmese Government
Organisation/s Involved
- 88 Generation (Peace & Open Society)
- Action Committee for Democracy Development
- Action for Dignity and Development
- All Arakan Students’ & Youths’ Congress
- ALTSEAN-Burma
- Arakan Youth Network and Development Organization
- Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances
- Asia-Pacific Solidarity Coalition
- Bago EITI
- Bago Youth Network
- Bridge – Kachin
- Burma Campaign UK
- Burma Partnership
- Center for Youth and Social Harmony
- Chin Youth Network
- Civil Authorize Negotiate Organization
- Community Response Group
- Community Youth Center – Karenni
- Cordillera Peoples Alliance (The Philippines)
- Danu Youth Network
- Democratic Party for New Society
- Denmark Kachin Community
- Equality Myanmar
- Ethnic Youth Network
- Farmer Rights and Development Organization
- Farmers Union- Magwe
- FIDH – International Federation for Human Rights
- Focus on the Global South
- Fortify Rights
- Forum for Democracy in Burma
- Free Burma Campaign (South Africa)
- Free Burma Coalition-Philippines
- Genuine People’s Servants
- Green Network Sustainable Environment Group
- Grow Back for Posterity
- Hands in Unity
- Highlander Associations (Cambodia)
- Humanity Institute
- Human Rights Defenders and Promoters Network
- IFI Watch Myanmar
- Info Birmanie
- Institute for Asian Democracy
- Jinghpaw Laili Laika hte Htunghking Hpung
- Justice and Peace Commission – Catholic Bishop Conference Myanmar
- Justice for Peace Foundation (Thailand)
- Kachin Alliance
- Kachin Association Japan
- Kachin Association Norway
- Kachin Association of Australia
- Kachin Canadian Association
- Kachin Community in Europe
- Kachin Communities Netherlands
- Kachin Development Networking Group
- Kachin Farmers Network
- Kachin National Organization
- Kachin Peace Network
- Kachin State Urban Rural Mission
- Kachin Women Association Japan
- Kachin Women Peace Network
- Kachin Women’s Association of Thailand
- Kachin Women Union
- Kachin Youth Central –Ginjaw Ramma
- Kachin Youth Organization
- Kaladan Development Foundation
- Kapaeeng Foundation (Bangladesh)
- Karen Development Committee
- Karen Environmental and Social Action Network
- Karenni National Women’s Organization
- Karenni Network of Women Organizations
- Karenni State Youth Network
- Karenni Youth and Women Organization
- Karen Women Empowerment Group
- Karen Women’s Union
- Karen Youth Network
- Karuna Myanmar Social Services
- Kham Ho Center
- Lachid Literature and Culture Association
- Lawyers’ Association for Human Rights of Nepalese Indigenous Peoples (Nepal)
- Magwe EITI Watch Group
- Myanmar Alliance for Transparency and Accountability
- Myit Makha Watch Group
- Naga Youth Network
- National Alliance of Indigenous Peoples Organizations in the Philippines
- National Network for Education Reform
- National Youth Forum
- Nau Shawng Education Network
- ND-Burma
- Network for Democracy and Development
- New Zealand Kachin Community
- NGO Federation of Nepalese Indigenous Nationalities (Nepal)
- NGO Gender Group
- Paoh Youth Organization
- Partners Relief & Development
- Paung Ku
- Public Network Bago
- Pyo Khin Thit Foundation – Maubin
- Rainfall Gender Study Group
- Research and Translation Consultancy Cluster
- Sha-it Social Development Foundation
- Shan Youth Network
- Shwe Gas Movement
- Social, Economic and Gender Research Institute
- Spectrum
- Students and Youth Congress of Burma
- Taang Students and Youth Organization
- Taang Women Organization
- Taang Youth Network
- Tavoyan Women’s Union
- Tavoyan Youth Network
- The Seagull-Mandalay
- Thuriya Sandar Environmental Protection
- Triangle Women Support Group
- Union Lahu Youth Organizations
- Voice of Women
- We For All (Japan)
- Women Initiative Network for Peace
- Women Peace and Security Initiative
- Women Peace Network – Arakan
- Women Political Action 2015 – Myanmar
- Women’s Organizations Network Myanmar
- Won-Lark Foundation
- Wunpawng Ning Htoi
- Yangon School of Political Science
- Zomi Youth Network
