CNI News
16 December 2023

when the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) started raiding Tarlawgyi Village, Myitkyina Township, Kachin State, where Shanni nationalities live on 5:00 a.m on 15th December, it was fighting against the Lisu Militia.

While the KIA has raided the village, it was fighting, using Shanni people as human shield without letting them leave the village, the Shanni Nationalities Unity Association (SNUA) stated.

And then, the Tatmadaw from Myitkyina also was fighting against the KIA with heavy weapons and airstrikes, and heavy weapon rounds were falling and exploding near the village, said in the statement.

The KIA force

" The KIA, Lisu militia and the military council taking part in the armed conflict need to pay respect to the international humanitarian law (IHL) and the international human rights law (IHRL), and we demand the KIA, Lisu militia and the military council not to fight, using Shanni people as human shield, deploying in the buildings where Shanni people live, schools, hospitals and religious buildings, and not to attack these places as military targets and to let the Shanni people leave for safety " said in the statement.

Tarlawgyi is a historical village where the Shanni people have lived for generations and it is a village that has repeatedly been forcibly recruited by the KIA as well. There is much concern that there will be incidents of human rights violations during the current armed conflict and all the situations will be monitored and recorded, said the SNUA on 15th December.

According the 2014 census-taking, there were 3,410 men and 3,469 women in Tarlawgyi Village.