Case Number
20241125RA
Case Date of Filing
25/11/2024
Suspected/Known Time of Incident
Local Time and Date: Exact time unknown. 30 June 2016.
GMT/Zulu Time and Date: Exact time unknown. 30 June 2016.
Case Researcher(s)
Makaela Rackow
Summary
Witnesses reported that soldiers took dozens of men into custody in a remote part of the Northern Shan state in Myanmar on 25 June 2016. A senior general in the military reported that five men were killed by the soldiers during interrogation.
The area where the villagers were taken has long been troubled by ethnic insurgents. In the same area, five bodies were found in a shallow grave. The military allegedly pledged to help the families from the village of Mong Yaw where the men were found.
The military conducted a court martial, which found that the soldiers failed to follow certain rules and procedures, resulting in the death of the villagers. It is unknown how many soldiers were being charged or what charges they faced.
Two bodies were also found dead in a ditch close to where the other five bodies were buried. It is unknown who killed them or why. The bodies were exhumed by local human rights activists.
Case Location
Mong Yaw
Latitude/Longitude (WGS84):
23.01.16.56N, 98.06.18.67E
Town/Region/Country:
Mong Yaw, Shan State, Myanmar
Individual Incident Locations:
Long Mon village of Mong Yaw subtownship in Myanmar’s Shan State
Potential location 1
22.28.43.84N, 98.29.42.57E
The grave was found somewhere in this village. The exact location of the grave is unknown.
Case Location Evidence Below:​

Casualties
Total Suspected/Known Number of Casualties:
07
Injured:
unknown
​
Fatalities in Incident:
unknown
Fatalities in Grave:
07
Further Casualty Information:
Age Range: 18 to 60 years old.
Genders: Males and Females
Ethnicity/ies: Palaung and Shan villagers
Casualty Evidence Below:
Government soldiers detained three ethnic Palaung men and 11 Shan villagers. Six women were released, along with three of the men. Three Palaung men were later arrested. Seven of the detained villagers were found in the ditch.
Suspected or Known Aggressors
Group/Tribe/Militia/Organisation:
Myanmar military
​
Suspected/Known Quantity of Participants:
unknown
Aggressor Evidence Below:
The military claimed responsibility for arresting and interrogating individuals, claiming that failure to adhere to interrogation guidelines resulted in the deaths of the individuals found in the grave. The military provided money to the victims’ families but it is unknown how many soldiers were involved or if they were punished.