Burmese Army starts using chemical weapons in its fight against Kachin Independence Army.

Burmese Army suffered heavy casualties in recent fighting, trying to control KIAs areas and headquarter in Kachinland and Shan State. After having lost a number of battalions and posts, Burmese Army resorted to use chemical weapons in recent fighting near Gara-yang and Shwe Nyaung Pin on Oct 28, 2011. Immediately after inhaling smoke from artillery shells, 3 KIA soldiers suffered from nausea, dizziness, and vomiting to the point of passing out. KIA soldiers at N-tap hill said they had similar experiences after inhaling fumes from bomb shells. Burmese Army reportedly used chemical weapons against Shan State ArmyNorth in an attempt to capture SSAs Wanhai headquarter on June 3, 2011. In one incident, though the mortar shells landed some eighty meters from an SSA outpost, one SSA soldier died and others suffered from debilitating health problems after inhaling an unusual smoke that came out from landed shells. Thai doctors examined SSA soldiers and revealed consistent abnormal symptoms across all victims. The Christian Solidarity Worldwide report alleges that SPDC Army troops fired a number of chemical weapons shells, believed to contain mustard gas

into Karenni Army stronghold at Nya My on February 15, 2005. In an interview with CSW, former Burmese Army soldier Myo Min, 15, who defected to the Karenni forces described Burmese Armys usage of chemical weapons. Myo Min said The sergeant commander of his unit told him to be very careful carrying these weapons, as if he dropped them the chemicals would spill and he could be killed. Asked how he knew they were chemical weapons, he said that the sergeant showed them all around the arsenal where weapons were stored at the army base camp and pointed out these poisonous weapons. Each box had the emblem of a skull and cross bones on it, and he proceeded to draw one for us. He said that whenever these chemical shells were fired soldiers had to wear full head masks and gloves. They were usually launched from a mortar launcher but said there were a number of ways in which they were delivered. But he had only seen the mortar launch, and said that during an artillery attack on Karenni positions they worked on one shell in four being a chemical shell. Sometimes he went with a truck to the front line when a large number of artillery shells were shifted at a time. In the truck on one occasion he counted five boxes of chemical devices, out of a total load of about 30, on another occasion he counted seven boxes, all with the skull and cross bones emblem. Karen Human Rights Group reported that Burmese Army used white phosphorus shells in offensives against KNU at Kaw Moo Ra in Dec, 1994. KHRG mentioned that the effects when the phosphorus comes into contact with human flesh are horrifying. A 23 year old Karen soldier told KHRG, the smoke spreads around very black, and it doesnt move. Before, if a breeze blew the smoke would clear, but not this time. It spread until we couldnt see, then the black smoke gave us a quivering inside our bodies. We were wearing glasses and thick cotton masks but it didnt help. As soon as the smoke touched your skin, it made your skin feel all hot. From the black smoke we immediately got headaches, then quivering and everybody got dizzy. All my friends, many of them were vomiting a lot. My officer was vomiting too, and his nose was bleeding. I tried to move but I couldnt. I tried to stand and get out but I couldnt, so they had to carry me. I fell unconscious for I dont know how long, and when I woke up I was in hospital. My friend was unconscious 2 hours longer than me, then after an injection and smelling salts he woke up. The renewed fighting between Burmese Army and KIA began in June of this year after 17 years of ceasefire. KIO/A led the current revolution against Burmese government for injustice and oppression in Kachinland. While KIO/A, representing Kachin people, is engaging in an arm conflict against Burmese government for autonomy, KIO continues to work for genuine political settlements.