A/HRC/39/CRP.2 Ill-treatment while in detention 186. The detention conditions in which civilians, including men, women and children, were held, while in the custody of the Tatmadaw, amount to ill-treatment. Detention conditions in formal and informal detention locations were sub-standard.312 Victims systematically reported that they were given very little food, had no contact with their families and had no access to health care.313 187. The Mission also received a reliable and consistent body of information pertaining to inhuman conditions in forced labour settings, either at military camps or while the Tatmadaw was moving their base of operations. Victims included children. Victims mentioned that they were beaten when walking too slowly as porters, or because they were too weak. In addition, civilians in the custody of the Tatmadaw for forced labour consistently stated that they ate insufficiently and felt hungry, rarely had access to adequate drinking water, slept on the ground with no blanket and felt cold, and received death threats. Victims were also subjected to sexual violence, including rape, gang rape and threats of being raped, while being detained for forced labour.314 The following are illustrative examples: • A survivor reported that 12 Tatmadaw soldiers came to her house in Myitkyina Township, Kachin State, in 2012 and threatened to take her mother away if she did not go with them. She spent six to seven months performing forced labour in a military camp near her village. On one occasion, she was raped by a senior officer with another soldier watching. On another night, soldiers told her to drink juice that caused her to lose consciousness. She woke up without underwear next to a sleeping soldier, with pain in her back, anus, vagina and thighs. A week later, she was taken to the same senior officer but escaped before another rape was committed. 315 • A girl who was 14 years old at the time of the events reported that the Tatmadaw detained her for forced labour for three or four days at a military camp near her village in Mongkaung Township, Shan State in 2011. She had to carry heavy bags and was not properly fed nor had access to enough drinking water. One day she was beaten on her legs because she asked a soldier for water.316 • Another victim reported that in October 2011, in Waingmaw Township, Kachin State, he was taken by the Tatmadaw to forcibly work as their porter. He reported: They chained our ankles. We walked for five days carrying very heavy packages. The Tatmadaw told us to walk faster and they slapped us, kicked us from behind. When we were thirsty, we were not given enough water, and sometimes we could not drink at all. We were often beaten with rifle butts and punched.317 • Another victim reported the humiliating and dehumanizing ill-treatment inflicted on him by the Tatmadaw while in their custody for forced labour. He was apprehended on 15 November 2014 in Kutkai Township, Shan State. He said: We walked the entire night. We stopped and rested for breakfast the next morning, although I remained tied-up. After breakfast, the Tatmadaw poured the inedible leftovers on a plate and asked us if we were hungry – two other civilians were detained as well. The soldiers said to eat and “since you are a rebel, you do not have to eat”. The soldier said, “Oh, this disgusts you?” I said yes, and the soldier said, “Even a rebel won’t eat this?” And then they started beating me again. One of the soldiers spat on the food and then so did the others. Then they pointed a gun at my head and said “If you don’t eat, we will kill you.” So, I ate the food. The Tatmadaw laughed at 312 313 314 315 316 317 See this chapter, section A.5: Arbitrary deprivation of liberty and enforced disappearance. DI-060, PI-035, PI-052, PI-055, PI-056, PI-013. DI-063, DI-065, DI-071, PI-001, PI-021, PI-067, PI-068, PI-077, PI-080, QI-079, QI-080, QI-085, QI-094, QI-095, QI-096, QI-097, QI-098; see this chapter, section A.4: Sexual and gender-based violence; section A.6: Forced labour. PI-068. DI-071. QI-097. 49