(Yangon – 30 Aug 2020)

August 30 marks the International Day of Victims of Enforced Disappearances. There are currently 18 Chin civilians missing without a trace. The feeling of insecurity generated by this practice is not limited to the close relatives of the disappeared but also affects their communities and society as a whole. The deprivation of liberty, the precursor to enforced disappearance has continued to blight civilian life in Paletwa Township since the Tatmadaw and the Arakan Army (AA) began the conflict in 2015.

“On this commemorative occasion, we share the pain and anguish of all those families whose loved ones are still missing in the context of the conflict in Paletwa. We take this opportunity to reiterate our call on the AA to give full accounts of all Chin civilian abductees whom they have disappeared and to release any remaining hostages on humanitarian and compassionate grounds,” said Salai Bawi Lian Mang, Executive Director of CHRO.

On the International Day of Victims of Enforced Disappearances, the CHRO makes the following recommendations:

To the Government of Myanmar:

Expeditiously become party to the Convention for the Protection of All Persons against Enforced Disappearances and accept the competence of the Committee on Enforced Disappearances to receive and examine individual complaints.
To the Arakan Army and the Tatmadaw:

Provide full accounts of the named individuals within this statement to the families of those missing or disappeared by intermediaries and release all abductees on humanitarian grounds;
Reparations for the families of victims of enforced disappearance should be agreed upon with the families concerned.

The names of those currently missing in the context of the conflict in Paletwa from the Chin community are:

1. Salai Benjamin – Yat Chaung village – last seen 27 November 2018
2. Salai Kyaw Naing – Yat Chaung village – last seen 27 November 2018
3. U Khu Luh – Yat Chaung village – last seen 27 November 2018
4. U Kyaw Aye – Than Taung village – last seen 14 June 2019
5. Salai Myint Maung – Than Taung village – last seen 9 June 2019
6. U Maung Maung Che – Muang Yua village – last seen 14 September 2019
7. Muang Pu Che – Muang Yua village – last seen 14 September 2019
8. U Muang Hla Khine – Muang Yua village – last seen 14 September 2019
9. U Sa Baung – Nan Chaung Wa village – last seen 10 August 2019
10. Salai Kyaw Kyaw Than – Baung Wa village – last seen 16 July 2019
11. U Kyaw Sein – Baung Wa village – last seen 16 July 2019
12. Maung Kyaw Lin – Baung Wa village – last seen 16 July 2019
13. U Soe Ye Aung – Baung Wa village – last seen 16 July 2019
14. U Muang Phyu – Taung Shey village – last seen 21 Feb 2020
15. U Lin Win – Myo Thit village – last seen 10 April 2020
16. U Aung Wa – Myo Thit village – last seen 10 April 2020
17. U Myint Maung – Paletwa town – last seen 12 April 2020
18. Salai Aung Soe – Paletwa town – last seen 29 July 2020

Media Contacts:
Salai Lian: English and Burmese (Director, Human Rights Education & Freedom of Religion or Belief Program, CHRO) Tel: 0945068729
Salai Terah: Burmese (Director, Human Rights Documentation Program, CHRO) Tel: 09255934177

View the original.