Victims of the State Administration Council (SAC) or military junta in Myanmar are seeking justice after a series of criminal attacks were carried out on some of its ethnic citizens.
A case has been filed with the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Dili, Timor-Leste by the ethnic Chin people, 90% of whom are Christian.
The move has been led by the Chin Human Rights Organization (CHRO) with support from the Myanmar Accountability Project (MAP).
The allegations brought against the militia involve a series of inhumane crimes, including the murders of a pastor and three deacons, a mass killing in which 10 people including a journalist and a 13-year-old boy lost their lives, the gang rape of a pregnant woman, air attacks on hospitals and the targeting of churches.
The CHRO said that the Chin had been the victims of “deliberate, systematic, and widespread” violence.
Since the 2021 military coup, there has been an uptick in military action against the Chin with hundreds losing their lives and many more displaced.
The Chin have, however, put up resistance to military action by way of the Chin National Army in partnership with armed groups representing other persecuted groups in the country.
CHRO has detailed in a press release that “Since July 2022, the military junta had carried out around 1,000 documented air strikes in the state. More than 4,600 homes have been destroyed by airstrikes or deliberately burnt down. 478 civilians have been killed, including 91 women and 79 children. At least 19 medical facilities, 25 schools and 127 religious buildings, including 78 churches, have been damaged or destroyed, according to CHRO figures.“
Salai Za Uk, Executive Director of CHRO, said, “Timor-Leste’s journey from oppression to a thriving democracy – rooted in the rule of law, an independent judiciary and constitutional respect for universal human rights – reflects a shared struggle against military repression.
“In submitting this complaint, we appeal first to the Timorese public and Christian community to stand in solidarity with the Chin people, whose churches and communities have been targeted through war crimes and crimes against humanity, and we call on Christians worldwide to support accountability and justice in Myanmar.”
The case was welcomed by Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), with its founder and president, Mervyn Thomas stating, “CSW stands with CHRO and the survivors seeking justice in Dili, and urges Timorese civil society to support their quest for accountability. The international community must move beyond condemnation of severe violations and atrocity crimes, and toward concrete action against perpetrators.”
