Burmese government urged to investigate the enforced disappearance of Sumlut Roi Ja

| 30 October 2014

FIDH – International Federation for Human Rights
and its member organization in Burma
Alternative ASEAN Network on Burma
and its partners


Joint Press Release

Burmese government urged to investigate the enforced disappearance of Sumlut Roi Ja


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.

 

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.

List of signatories

 

  1.          88 Generation (Peace & Open Society)
  2.          Action Committee for Democracy Development
  3.          Action for Dignity and Development
  4.          All Arakan Students’ & Youths’ Congress
  5.          ALTSEAN-Burma
  6.          Arakan Youth Network and Development Organization
  7.          Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances
  8.          Asia-Pacific Solidarity Coalition
  9.          Bago EITI
  10.        Bago Youth Network
  11.        Bridge – Kachin
  12.        Burma Campaign UK
  13.        Burma Partnership
  14.        Center for Youth and Social Harmony
  15.        Chin Youth Network
  16.        Civil Authorize Negotiate Organization
  17.        Community Response Group
  18.        Community Youth Center – Karenni
  19.        Cordillera Peoples Alliance (The Philippines)
  20.        Danu Youth Network
  21.        Democratic Party for New Society
  22.        Denmark Kachin Community
  23.        Equality Myanmar
  24.        Ethnic Youth Network
  25.        Farmer Rights and Development Organization
  26.        Farmers Union- Magwe
  27.        FIDH – International Federation for Human Rights
  28.        Focus on the Global South
  29.        Fortify Rights
  30.        Forum for Democracy in Burma
  31.        Free Burma Campaign (South Africa)
  32.        Free Burma Coalition-Philippines
  33.        Genuine People’s Servants
  34.        Green Network Sustainable Environment Group
  35.        Grow Back for Posterity
  36.        Hands in Unity
  37.        Highlander Associations (Cambodia)
  38.        Humanity Institute
  39.        Human Rights Defenders and Promoters Network
  40.        IFI Watch Myanmar
  41.        Info Birmanie
  42.        Institute for Asian Democracy
  43.        Jinghpaw Laili Laika hte Htunghking Hpung
  44.        Justice and Peace Commission – Catholic Bishop Conference Myanmar
  45.        Justice for Peace Foundation (Thailand)
  46.        Kachin Alliance
  47.        Kachin Association Japan
  48.        Kachin Association Norway
  49.        Kachin Association of Australia
  50.        Kachin Canadian Association
  51.        Kachin Community in Europe
  52.        Kachin Communities Netherlands
  53.        Kachin Development Networking Group
  54.        Kachin Farmers Network
  55.        Kachin National Organization
  56.        Kachin Peace Network
  57.        Kachin State Urban Rural Mission
  58.        Kachin Women Association Japan
  59.        Kachin Women Peace Network
  60.        Kachin Women’s Association of Thailand
  61.        Kachin Women Union
  62.        Kachin Youth Central –Ginjaw Ramma
  63.        Kachin Youth Organization
  64.        Kaladan Development Foundation
  65.        Kapaeeng Foundation (Bangladesh)
  66.        Karen Development Committee
  67.        Karen Environmental and Social Action Network
  68.        Karenni National Women’s Organization
  69.        Karenni Network of Women Organizations
  70.        Karenni State Youth Network
  71.        Karenni Youth and Women Organization
  72.        Karen Women Empowerment Group
  73.        Karen Women’s Union
  74.        Karen Youth Network
  75.        Karuna Myanmar Social Services
  76.        Kham Ho Center
  77.        Lachid Literature and Culture Association
  78.        Lawyers’ Association for Human Rights of Nepalese Indigenous Peoples (Nepal)
  79.        Magwe EITI Watch Group
  80.        Myanmar Alliance for Transparency and Accountability
  81.        Myit Makha Watch Group
  82.        Naga Youth Network
  83.        National Alliance of Indigenous Peoples Organizations in the Philippines
  84.        National Network for Education Reform
  85.        National Youth Forum
  86.        Nau Shawng Education Network
  87.        ND-Burma
  88.        Network for Democracy and Development
  89.        New Zealand Kachin Community
  90.        NGO Federation of Nepalese Indigenous Nationalities (Nepal)
  91.        NGO Gender Group
  92.        Paoh Youth Organization
  93.        Partners Relief & Development
  94.        Paung Ku
  95.        Public Network Bago
  96.        Pyo Khin Thit Foundation – Maubin
  97.        Rainfall Gender Study Group
  98.        Research and Translation Consultancy Cluster
  99.        Sha-it Social Development Foundation
  100.      Shan Youth Network
  101.      Shwe Gas Movement
  102.      Social, Economic and Gender Research Institute
  103.      Spectrum
  104.      Students and Youth Congress of Burma
  105.      Taang Students and Youth Organization
  106.      Taang Women Organization
  107.      Taang Youth Network
  108.      Tavoyan Women’s Union
  109.      Tavoyan Youth Network
  110.      The Seagull-Mandalay
  111.      Thuriya Sandar Environmental Protection
  112.      Triangle Women Support Group
  113.      Union Lahu Youth Organizations
  114.      Voice of Women
  115.      We For All (Japan)
  116.      Women Initiative Network for Peace
  117.      Women Peace and Security Initiative
  118.      Women Peace Network – Arakan
  119.      Women Political Action 2015 – Myanmar
  120.      Women’s Organizations Network Myanmar
  121.      Won-Lark Foundation
  122.      Wunpawng Ning Htoi
  123.      Yangon School of Political Science
  124.      Zomi Youth Network

 

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Category: Media Monitoring

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