The military reportedly killed six civilians trapped in the besieged village of Sel Zin in Hpakant Township and dumped their bodies in the Uru River in Kachin State.
“Before killing these people, the soldiers forced them to carry items they had stolen from homes in Sel Zin. After the work was done, they simply killed the villagers,” said a local who has sought refuge in Hpakant, asking that his name not be published for security reasons.
He said the soldiers forced them to move 650 chickens and 4 pigs for two days. Aik Khe and Kyaw Zaw were two of the victims, but the man did not know the names of the other four people.
According to other villagers, after fighting broke out with the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) in the area in early August, the military slaughtered 30 residents, 15 of whom have already been identified. The presence of 200 soldiers staying in Sel Zin has hampered efforts to collect all the bodies. Of the 1,000 houses, the military set fire to 670 and some were destroyed by artillery attacks.
On 8 August, the KIA and the People’s Defence Forces seized a junta camp and one of the Shanni Nationalities Army near Sel Zin and seized weapons and ammunition.
