Justice is still not found for the two ethnic Kachin teachers who were sent as volunteer teachers to Shan State by the Kachin Baptist Convention (KBC) in 2014.
After 6 years, Kachin Christians still seek justice for the death of two teachers --Maran Lu Ra, 20, and Tangbau Hkawn Nan Tsin, 21-- who were said to be raped and murdered by the Tatmadaw (Burmese Army) in the Kawng Hka village on Jan. 19, 2015, the International Christian Concern reported.
A video was taken by the villagers after the day of the murder displaying the bloody and battered bodies of the dead Kachin volunteers lying side by side on a bamboo bed.
Although the Kawng Hka villagers stated that the two Christian volunteer teachers were gang-raped and murdered by troops from the 503rd Light Infantry battalion, who arrived the morning before the two were killed, to take revenge after the Tatmadaw units and Kachin Independence Army (KIA) fought in the nearby Kachin State, the police and Tatmadaw still continue to deny the allegations against the involvement of the Tatmadaw in the rape and murder case.
A report from UCA News declared that around 28 soldiers from the troop were suspected to partake in the case but the KBC was told that the collected DNA samples found in the bodies of the two victims did not match those of the tested DNA from the alleged.
The Kachin Baptist Convention believes that the case does not involve any local villagers after conducting their own investigation into the murder.
The military issued a public threat to local media not to implicate their troops in the crime. The police have reportedly dismissed any possibility of the troops' involvement in the murder and rape case of the Kachin volunteers.
Members from civil society groups in Kachin State demanded that the real culprits pay the price of what they have done and face justice as the KBC held the 6th annual memorial service for the victims and their families in a Facebook live stream which includes prayers and gospel songs.
The civil society groups made a joint statement in the public saying, "Towards prevailing truth and justice, pressure is needed upon the government and the military by embassies and international rights groups,".
The Kachin Baptist Convention will continue to seek justice for the two Kachin women until it is found. In 2019, Rev. Hkalam Sam Sun, chairman of the KBC, sent a message to the public saying "Even though it has been four years, we feel like it was yesterday. It was an act against our whole ethnic community,".
"I was told to forget about these volunteer teachers' cases by a [Myanmar Military] commander last year. I told him that as Christians, we know well about forgiveness and having patience and letting go of pain, but we must work to get the truth. We want to reveal who the culprits are." he also added in his message.
