A/HRC/39/CRP.2 109. The populations of Kachin and Shan States comprise various ethnic and religious minorities.140 Many of these minorities have struggled for decades for greater autonomy and against what they perceive to be a central government that has favoured Bamar-Buddhists politically and economically. These grievances have been aggravated by the Tatmadaw’s historic use of counterinsurgency tactics that directly affected the civilian population. The Tatmadaw intentionally, frequently and systematically targeted the civilian population because the Tatmadaw identified all civilians of an ethnic group as members of the EAO of that particular group or in retaliation for attacks by the EAO against the Tatmadaw. Villages were cleared and land was burned. 110. The conflicts in Kachin and Shan States are also fuelled by the exploitation of natural resources; land use and major infrastructure projects; and narcotics trading. Indeed, many interviewees informed the Mission that the drug trade had “taken over” the region and that ordinary people were left with few economic opportunities: “either they trade drugs or engage in war by joining armed groups”. 141 Most parties to the conflicts are involved in illicit economic activity, contributing to insecurity and affecting the human rights situation, including by the appropriation of civilian land to conduct such activities. 142 111. Many reported violations have been committed within the context of the exploitation of natural resources or development projects by some parties to the armed conflicts, predominantly the Tatmadaw.143 For example, an expert witness mentioned that the locations of fighting in Kachin State follow the development of a national highway. 144 Other interviewees asserted that the Tatmadaw targeted them because they had witnessed illegal timber exploitation145 or that they were tortured because the Tatmadaw wanted information on access to KIA-controlled amber exploitation zones.146 Victims and witnesses of hostilities in Tanai Township, Kachin State, in 2017 and 2018 said that the overall objective of the Tatmadaw operations was to “destroy the KIA’s economy by appropriating amber and mining resources under their control”.147 112. Violations against ethnic and religious minorities in northern Myanmar are committed in a context of severe discrimination on ethnic and religious grounds, often with persecutory intent. This manifests, for example, in the destruction or ransacking of churches and religious objects during military operations (and sometimes subsequent erecting of Buddhist pagodas)148 but also in the use of ethnic or religious slurs during the commission of gross human rights violations149 and in treatment of people as inferior or even “sub-human”.150 For example, a victim reported, “The Tatmadaw soldiers don’t treat us like humans, they treat us like animals. They look at us as if we should not even exist. Even though the name is Kachin State, they don’t think Kachin should be there and exist.” 151 Another victim reported that the Tatmadaw said, “You Kachin people are like our penis”.152 Several interviewees also reported that they experienced discrimination in the educational system. They claimed that in government-controlled areas education was provided in Myanmar language and that they “did not understand much” 153 or that they could hardly identify or fully participate in the 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 The peoples of Shan State include the Shan, Pa-O, Intha, Lahu, Lisu, Taungyo, Danu, Ta’ang, Ahka and Jinghpaw (Kachin), Shan-Chinese (Han), Shan-Ni and Kokang. The peoples of Kachin State include the Jinghpaw, Shan, Ruwang, Lisu, Zaiwa, Lawngwaw, Lachyit, Rakhine and Bamar. Many of the ethnic minority groups have substantial numbers of Christians among their members. Some groups are predominantly Christian. PI-031, QM-014. PI-022, QI-089, SI-003. PI-013, PI-022, PI-026, PI-032, PI-039, PI-048, PI-054, PI-061, PI-077, PI-103, QI-080. QM-018. PI-039, PI-048. PI-054; see this chapter, section A.8. Emblematic incidents (Tanai). PI-043, PI-049, PI-054; see this chapter, section A.8. Emblematic incidents (Tanai). PI-032, PI-049, PI-104, SI-003. DI-063, DI-064, DI-066, PI-003, PI-007, PI-004, PI-026, PI-069, QI-090, QI-096. PI-087, QI-094, PI-031, DI-061. QI-094. PI-028. DI-040, PI-040. 31