The KIA, which is battling Myanmar government forces for greater autonomy in Kachin State, has admitted its troops killed the two boys and promised to apologize and compensate their families, but denied that the killings were ordered by senior commanders. Family members learned of the killings only 16 days later
Leaders and members of the militia who hail from Yeinmaw and Hophyat villages and a leader from Lwelkham village, where large amounts of illegal drugs were found, are now being accused of being involving in drug manufacturing and failing to inform authorities
The Myanmar military and a number of armed groups are present in the region, including the rebel Kachin Independence Army (KIA); the National Democratic Army-Kachin (NDA-K), an armed group that was converted into a Border Guard Force under Myanmar military command; and the Lisu and Rawang militias
The two pastors are being charged under Section 17(1) of Myanmar’s colonial-era Unlawful Associations Act, which carries a three-year prison sentence for those who interact with an unlawful association, such as an ethnic armed group like the KIA, religious leaders said
In Myanmar’s Kachin State, eight years of conflict and displacement has caused some civilians to turn to drugs as authorities struggle to control and rehabilitate heroin and amphetamine addicts, both in the refugee camps and cities across the state~VOA NEWS
On-going fighting between the Myanmar military and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) has led to economic hardships resulting from land losses, displacement and family separation. Many young Burmese women seek work in neighboring China, making them more vulnerable to human trafficking and forced marriages