A rape-murder case in the death of two Kachin teachers in Kawng Kha village, in n

orthern Shan State, one year ago, has been released.

Compiled by the Kachin Womens Association of Thailand (KWAT) and the Legal Aid Ne
twork (LAN),the report includes witness testimony which alleges the involvement
of Army officers and soldiers.
The governments priorities were clear in the Kawng Kha case protect the military a
t all cost, said KWAT General Secretary Moon Nay Li. We urge the new NLD governmen
t to bring the perpetrators of this crime to justice, and end military impunity.
The report says police were only allowed to question 28 of the 40 troops station
ed in the village at the time of the crime, each for only a few minutes.
Key evidence, such as bloody fingerprints, failed to be recorded, and some villag
ers were tortured to try and force them to confess to the crime, said KWAT.
The report focuses on the role of command responsibility and the issue of immunity
for high government officials for crimes committed on their watch.
The militarys power and influence over the police and judiciary is highlighted as
a key structural barrier to justice in Myanmar, and it should be addressed thro
ugh constitutional reform, said KWAT.
Whatever amnesty he grants himself in Burma, President Thein Sein is still liable
to prosecution for war crimes in accordance with the Geneva Convention, to whic
h Burma is a party, if evidence on command responsibility is found. said Hkawng Lum
, a human rights lawyer working with LAN.
The full report can be found on www.kachinwomen.com or www.legalaidnetwork.org