The civil war between the Kachin Independence Army and
government armed forces has become more merciless, with day by
day hostilities. Despite talk of reform by President Thein
Sein’s government, its soldiers have systematically accelerated
hostilities in Kachin state.  Even though Thein Sein explained
last week in New York that he had ordered his troops to stop
fighting on Kachin frontlines, the truth on the ground is a
different story. Questions have arisen about whether his orders
are being faithfully carried out.  The Burma Army has been
committing crimes against humanity during the Kachin offensive,
especially toward the unarmed ordinary citizens on the Kachin
frontline. The government soldiers have been committing crimes
in progress for decades. Such kinds of maltreatments have been
documented by several international and regional human rights
watch groups.  Since June 2011, the Burma Army has been not only
assaulting the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) but also the
innocent Kachin natives. This extraord