A non-governmental organization brought the widow of a man killed by a landmine to a press conference in Yangon on 1 March. The landmine was believed to be laid during armed conflict in January 2016 in Ho Pon village of Kutkai Township in northern Shan State.Her husband stepped on the mine near the village. After initially surviving the blast, he died enroute to a hospital. Lengthy travel in difficult terrain from the village and lack of nearby medical facilities were identified as reasons he did not survive the incident. His widow described the experience as a ‘terrible hell’. She is reported to have said that she”would like to ask the government to clear the landmines if they care about citizens’ lives.”
The Landmine Monitor has not previously reported any mined areas in Kutkai township. The 1 March press conference coincided with the 17th anniversary of the entry into force of the global Mine Ban Treaty. Myanmar has not joined the mine ban to date.
For more see:
Nyein Nyein, “Ethnic Civilians Demand End to Army Abuses in Shan State” the Irrawaddy, 2 March 2016
Thu Thu Aung, “Shan rights groups call for mine clearance” Myanmar Times, 2 March 2016