Human Rights Watch is accusing Burmese soldiers of "serious abuses" against civilians in northern Kachin state, including enslavement and murder.The Burmese military launched an offensive against the rebel Kachin Independence Army in June. Human Rights Watch says soldiers attacked and occupied numerous villages in Kachin state, confiscating residents' property and belongings.
The rights group also says the soldiers pressed Kachin civilians into forced labor and subjected some of them to harsh interrogation.Human Rights Watch says the attacks have displaced 30,000 Kachin civilians who fled their homes to hide out for days in nearby mountains and jungles.