Chin Students’ Union strongly condemns the summary execution of three village headmen on April 07, 2007, in Southern Chin State by troops from Burma Army Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) 104 and LIB 304 under Tactical Operation Command II, based in Matupi headed by Colonel San Aung.

We are gravely overwhelmed with sorrow and anguish upon the execution of three village headmen, namely Hung Ling (25) of Cun-Nam village, Maung Khe (32) of Lung-Phune village, Ting Co of Sangseh village and the missing of two villagers namely Khin Maung Oo and Tin Ceu of Sangseh village. We extend our deepest condolence to the murdered victim’s families who were extra-judicially executed by the Burmese Army.

The village headmen were summarily executed after being accused of failing to report troop movement of Chin National Army / Chin National Front, an armed group struggling for Self-determination of the Chin people and Democracy based on Federal system in Burma, in opposition to the ruling military junta.  They were also accused of showing sympathy and providing financial aids to the armed opposition group. Colonel San Aung immediately issued an order of execution them without judicial trial and solid evidences.

This kind of unlawful activities such as killing, raping, torturing, force labor, force porter and religious persecutions are arbitrarily and constantly committed by the military regime, upon the innocent Chin civilians across the Chin State, since the military coup of State’s power after 1988 Democratic Uprising.

The arbitrary execution of the three village headmen is a violation of the right to life and a person’s right to due process of the law under article 3 and 11 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Moreover, the disappearance of Khin Maung Oo and Tin Ceu is a State-enforced disappearance in breach of the UN Convention against Enforced Disappearance.

“It is a norm rather than exceptional practice within the Burma Army to summarily execute anyone suspected of being anti-regime. Too many cases of summary executions have been carried out with impunity against ethnic communities across Burma. This kind of arbitrarily killing is meant to teach a lesson to the public that the price of dissent is death” says Salai Bawi Lian Mang, Director of Chin Human Rights Organization.

Chin Students’ Union, therefore seriously urges Burma’s State Peace and Development Council to immediately cease execution of civilians without judicial trail and to investigate the summary killing of the three headmen. CSU strongly backed CHRO calls for the UN special Rapporteur on Extra-judicial, Summary, or Arbitrary Executions to conduct an independent investigation into extrajudicial and summary killings of civilians in Burma.

For more information please contact:
Chin Students’ Union
New Delhi, +9871819676, +9871370204
Email: su_delhi @ yahoo.com , pvanrungmang @ yahoo.com