Strong evidence has emerged of the alleged use of chemical weapons by the Burma Army against the Karenni people. A draft report from Christian Solidarity Wordlwide International President Dr Martin Panter presents evidence of chemical weapons use during an incident which is alleged to have happened near Burma’s north western border with Thailand on 15 February. (29-APR-05)

This article derives from Christian Solidarity Worldwide´s website www.csw.org.uk , where it was first released on 21 April. It has been forwarded to www.humanrightshouse.org by the Norwegian Burma Committee, one of the member organisations of the Norwegian Human Rights House. The article has been edited for republication here.

During the shelling of a Karenni camp, Dr Panter has gathered reports that a device exploded which gave out yellow smoke and a “highly irritating odour”. On April 14 Dr Panter interviewed five of the soldiers who suffered symptoms as a result of this alleged attack, such as irritation to the skin and lungs and severe muscle weakness. The relevant part of Dr Panter’s draft report follows below.

-Calls for an international boycott
Mervyn Thomas, Chief Executive of Christian Solidarity Worldwide UK, said: “The circumstantial evidence for the use of chemical weapons against the Karenni people seems to be very compelling indeed. The evidence Dr Panter gathered of irritation to people’s eyes, throat, lungs and skin point to the use of chemical weapons against them. The Burmese regime has been waging a campaign of ethnic cleansing against the Karenni for many years now, and the apparent use of chemical weapons is consistent with what we know of this brutal regime. CSW calls on the international community to put increased pressure on this regime to improve its human rights record. In addition we are calling on ASEAN to refuse to allow Burma to chair ASEAN in July 2006.”

Familiar with ordinary shellings
Allegations had been made that on February 15 at a Karenni border post known as Nya My, some 10km west of the Thai hill town of Mae Hong Son following a prolonged period of heavy artillery shelling starting on January 14, a heavy artillery device exploded in the camp quite different to those previously experienced by the Karenni Army. Usually, we were informed by the soldiers present at the camp at the time, the shells exploded and they had black, white or grey smoke, there was a typical odour or colour, with which they were all familiar, and had been for many years.

Immediate, different and lasting effect
On this particular day February 15, a device exploded with a very distinctive yellow smoke and totally different pungent and immediately a highly irritating odour. Within minutes those soldiers near enough to inhale vapours from this device became extremely distressed with irritation to the eyes, throat, lungs and skin. Subsequently some developed severe muscle weakness and one coughed up blood. All lost weight between 5-10kg over the ensuing 4weeks. We interviewed 5 of the soldiers aged between 35-42, all of whom had fought with Karenni resistance forces for between 15-25 years, on 14 April 2005 at a location just inside the Thai border. We took a detailed history and conducted clinical examinations, using as outlined inn the definitive Jones Chem-Bio Handbook for military use, second edition published in 2002 (of which the author has a copy).

Solid evidence
This matrix is a highly detailed questionnaire and gives a detailed evidential basis for the use of different chemical agents whether nerve agents, blister agents, cyanide, pulmonary agents or riot control agents. Using this agent indicator matrix and conducting clinical examinations of five of the soldiers who were effected by this explosive device, additionally using evidence from another doctor – who examined the patients of 21 February 2005, strong circumstantial evidence exists for the use of chemicals, particularly nerve agents, pulmonary agents and possibly blister agents. The detailed questionnaire, and the other doctor’s detailed clinical report, are available for examination by contacting the author but they are too detailed and lenghtly to be included in this report.

For more information, please contact Richard Chilvers, Communications Manager, CSW on 020 8329 0045 or email Richard.chilvers@csw.org.uk