Myanmar Spring Chronicle – March 26 Scenes
MoeMaKa, March 27, 2024
Surge in Assassinations Following Military Conscription Law
In the wake of Myanmar’s enforcement of the military conscription law, a disturbing resurgence of assassinations has gripped the nation. The responsibility for enlisting individuals into the military fell heavily on ward administrators, who found themselves at the forefront of the contentious process. Since the initiation of enumeration, summoning, and lottery drawings in late February, reports indicate a harrowing toll: 17 individuals, including administrators, have fallen victim to assassinations perpetrated by urban guerrilla forces.
The targeted killings, euphemistically termed “Dalan clearing,” are not mere manifestations of political ideology but rather calculated maneuvers to achieve specific political ends. These extrajudicial killings, condemned by legal and political scholars, highlight the volatile landscape where individuals are marked for their perceived affiliations or support for opposing factions.
The recent wave of assassinations recalls a pattern that emerged in the aftermath of the 2021 military coup. Initially focused on ward/village administrators, party organizers, and non-CDN employees, the campaign later expanded to include family members of military and police personnel, as well as veteran officers.
While a lull in such violence was observed in late 2022 and 2023, the enactment of the military conscription law in February 2024 reignited the cycle of bloodshed. Individuals involved in compiling lists of prospective military conscripts have found themselves targeted once again, marking a grim escalation in the conflict’s toll on civilian lives.
Since the coup three years ago, the death toll attributed to civilian casualties surpasses 4,000, underscoring the brutality inflicted by the military regime. When accounting for fatalities resulting from retaliatory actions by PDF and urban guerrilla factions, the toll climbs to over 6,000, as reported by monitoring groups in late 2023.
The majority of casualties resulting from the military regime’s actions are deemed extrajudicial, with victims often perishing under torture or arbitrary detention. These violations, coupled with killings of individuals accused of PDF affiliation without substantiated evidence, constitute grave breaches of human rights and potentially war crimes.
While revolutionary forces and armed groups continue their struggle for democracy, adherence to international standards and laws is paramount. It is imperative to distinguish between the obligations of a governing entity and those of revolutionary forces. While transitional justice may provide some recourse for unlawful acts committed in pursuit of justice, adherence to principles of justice and respect for human dignity remains paramount in building a future founded on equality and justice.
As Myanmar grapples with escalating violence and political turmoil, the pursuit of justice must be guided by principles of righteousness and fairness rather than coercion and fear. Only through a commitment to justice and accountability can Myanmar hope to emerge from its current crisis and forge a path towards a more equitable future.