Fortify Rights urges Myanmar's democratic forces to form war crimes investigation units

YANGON, July 16 Democratic organizations in Myanmar, especially the Karenni (Kayah) State resistance forces, should establish war crimes investigation units capable of independently investigating war crimes and violations of international human rights and humanitarian law, Fortify Rights urged in a statement released on July 15. Fortify Rights also stated that it is ready to provide technical assistance and training for the establishment of these investigation units. According to Fortify Rights, after recently conducting training on international humanitarian law (Laws of War), human rights, and evidence recording of war crimes in Karenni State, Karenni leaders expressed interest in establishing war crimes investigation units. Furthermore, the Karenni resistance forces have reportedly reaffirmed their commitment to abide by military laws. Peter Bouckaert, Senior Director at Fortify Rights, stated that it is crucial for all organizations involved in armed conflict to understand their obligations under military law and international human rights law and to have the capacity to investigate crimes. “We see that the trainees in Karenni State are earnestly working to understand and apply international human rights and humanitarian law standards in practice. Now is the time for all revolutionary forces in Myanmar, including the Karenni forces, to establish war crimes investigation units under their administrative mechanisms. We are ready to assist in establishing these,” said Peter Bouckaert. Fortify Rights recommends that all democratic organizations in Myanmar establish independent war crimes investigation units, which should be able to investigate alleged violations by any party to the conflict, including the military junta and resistance forces, free from political and military influence. It also recommends that they should have the authority to investigate regardless of the accused's rank, position, or organization. Fortify Rights reported that it provided training on human rights, military law, weapon classification, war crime investigation methods, and evidence preservation techniques to the Karenni National Defense Force (KNDF), Karenni Army (KA), and Karenni People's Liberation Army (KPLA) at the invitation of the Interim Executive Council (IEC) of Karenni State in November 2025 and March 2026. Fortify Rights stated that the training covered distinguishing between military and civilian targets, proportionality, command responsibility, human rights law, evidence collection, maintaining the chain of custody, interviewing with consent, weapon classification, and international accountability mechanisms. According to Fortify Rights, improving compliance with international humanitarian law and enhancing the capacity to record evidence of war crimes will help reduce civilian harm, preserve evidence of crimes, and facilitate accountability in the future. Khun Bee Htoo, Vice Chairman of the Interim Executive Council (IEC) of Karenni State and Chairman of the KNDF, said, “Our revolution is to build a new federal democratic union where all ethnic groups can live together peacefully and their rights are respected. We welcome the cooperation with Fortify Rights to ensure our forces abide by military law and to investigate and record the crimes being committed by the military council.” Fortify Rights also reported that it sent a letter to the IEC and KNDF on May 20, 2026, urging them to establish war crimes investigation units and continue to abide by military laws while protecting civilians. Fortify Rights' statement also noted that since the military coup in 2021, approximately 250,000 people have been displaced in Karenni State, and civilian infrastructure, including schools, hospitals, and IDP camps, has been damaged due to the military council's airstrikes. Furthermore, Fortify Rights has documented that in 2026, the military council's forces targeted farmers and agricultural land in Karenni State and the Karenni-Shan border areas, carrying out arbitrary arrests, torture, and airstrikes. Fortify Rights urged international governments not to grant any political recognition to the military council, but instead to provide more support for civilian protection, democratic resistance forces, community-based humanitarian efforts, and international justice initiatives.