The first place to start, to prevent the Burma Army from killing the ethnic population at will is to first detox the mindset of its troops.

In a documentary movie “Burma Soldier”, directed by veteran journalist Nic Dunlop in 2010, which could be downloaded and seen in the internet, the enlightened former Burmese soldier, Myo Myint, narrated that the rank and file of the Burma Army were indoctrinated to hate and treated the ethnic population as enemies. The logic is that the ethnic resistance armies existed for the ethnic population supported them. Thus they also must be oppressed, punished and eliminated.

If Maj-Gen Kyaw Kyaw Soe, the vice-commander of Northeast Command really means to make a 180 degree turn from the Burma Army’s hate indoctrination, all he has to do is to ask the Commander-in-Chief to employ detoxification program of such inhumane thinking from the mindset of its soldiers. Of course, also coupled with promulgation enforcement law and harsh punishment for perpetrators in committing such extra-judicial killings of innocent civilians.

Only the Burmese military must have real political will and a sense of adhering to universal human rights, as accepted by the international community, not just paying lip-service to democratic principles, protect and serve the elected government of the day.