CW victims take a turn for the worse

Five months after they were exposed to the chemical gases emitted by unidentified shells fired by the Burma Army, conditions have gone from bad to worse for the 13 Karenni rebels, reported Kantarawaddy Times, an independent Karenni news agency founded last year.

The burns on their skin, the swelling of their eyes and the burning sensation inside their bodies have worsened especially for three of the victims, So Reh, Ti Reh and Po Reh.

"My insides feel like they're being roasted and the rest of me is aching all over," said So Reh. "And when I walk, I have to keep pulling my hair. If I don't do that, I become dizzy and cannot step any further."

According to a report by Christian Solidarity Worldwide in April, the Burma Army had been employing chemical weapons against the Karenni National Progressive Party during their campaign along the Thai-Burma border opposite Maehongson.

Dr. Martin Panter, CSW president who had examined the Karenni soldiers, stated that the substance was almost certainly mustard gas, a poisonous chemical first used by the German Army during the First World War, reported Mizzima. The theory was supported by child soldiers from the Burma Army who had defected to the Karenni Army.

Rangoon, on the other hand, denies the use of chemical weapons. "Myanmar is signatory to the convention to controlling chemical weapons," said Information Minister Kyaw Hsan on 22 April. "The Myanmar Army was in no way involved in the clashes with the KNPP. They are fighting among themselves."