The Burma Campaign UK has received reports that the family of a 15 year-old schoolgirl who was gang-raped, mutilated and killed by Burmese Army soldiers has been offered around $500 plus some food staples as compensation for the murder.
Local army commanders have now admitted that one of their soldiers carried out the attack, which took place on July 27th. However, local people are reportedly angry that the regime is pinning the blame on just one low ranking soldier, witnesses saw more than one soldier following the schoolgirl, including a local colonel. That colonel has now apparently been reassigned to another area.
Local people had been very angry about the failure to investigate the brutal murder. Posters demanding justice have even been put up in the Kachin capital Myitkyina. On August 16th witnesses identified one of the soldiers involved, Soe Thu Win, during a line-up. He later confessed under interrogation. A local commander has reportedly stated that he will be sentenced to 20 years in jail, even though he has had no trial.
Financial compensation for crimes is common in Burma, but reports received by the Burma Campaign UK indicate that the family wants justice, not money. In addition to the money, they have been offered a bag of rice, some cooking oil, 5 cans of milk and some sugar.
“This is not justice,” said Nang Seng, Campaigns Officer at Burma Campaign UK. “Five hundred dollars and some rice is no compensation for what Nhkum Hkawn Din went through. They are making one soldier take the blame, and letting the others off. There has still not been a proper investigation and senior soldiers involved are literally getting away with murder.”
Since the Burma Campaign UK released information about the attack last week it has heard from other sources in Kachin state that rapes and killings by Burmese Army soldiers in Kachin State are common, but usually go unreported as families fear punishment by the regime.