A/HRC/39/64 reason for arrest, nor brought before a judge. In one incident in Monekoe, Shan State, more than 100 individuals were arrested and detained in November 2016. 64. As in other areas of Myanmar, forced labour has been a common feature of life for many in northern Myanmar. The mission verified a pattern of systematic use by the Tatmadaw of forced labour, including for portering or digging trenches, or as guides or cooks. Soldiers routinely arrived in villages without warning and took people for forced labour for up to weeks at a time. Some of those taken were required to fight for the Tatmadaw. The Tatmadaw recruited children throughout the period under review, although it has made some effort to address this issue. 65. Violations against ethnic and religious minorities in northern Myanmar are often committed with persecutory intent, in a context of severe discrimination based on ethnic or religious grounds. This has led, for example, to the destruction or ransacking of churches and religious objects during military operations (and sometimes to the subsequent construction of Buddhist pagodas), but also in the use of insulting language while the acts were being committed. 2. Violations and abuses by “ethnic armed organizations” Since my son was forcibly recruited in 2016, I have not heard from him. I always check Facebook to see if I will recognize him in a post, either dead or alive. 66. Ethnic armed organizations committed international humanitarian law violations and human rights abuses, many in the context of hostilities between the Ta’ang National Liberation Army and the Shan State Army-South, including abduction and detention, illtreatment and destruction or appropriation of civilian land and property. There have been instances where these groups, as well as the Kachin Independence Army and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, have failed to take precautionary measures to protect civilians in attacks and forcibly recruited adults and children. Some put immense economic pressure on civilians through arbitrary “taxation”. The extent to which rape, torture and killings were committed requires further investigation. 67. While the mission’s information on violations and abuses by ethnic armed organizations may not be representative, accounts would indicate that these are frequent but generally not systematic. This warrants further investigation. 3. Devastating humanitarian impact 68. Poverty levels in Kachin and Shan are high. The hostilities in northern Myanmar have compounded the humanitarian situation. People trapped in conflict-affected areas have been denied safe passage to leave. Others are unable to return because their homes have been looted and/or destroyed, because of continuing fighting or the presence of landmines, or because their land was appropriated after they fled, including by the Tatmadaw and corporations. This has resulted in protracted situations of internal displacement. 69. An estimated 100,000 people in Kachin and Shan have been living in displacement camps or camp-like situations since 2011. They live in overcrowded conditions with inadequate shelter. Access to food and health care is limited, while the rate of chronic malnutrition is well above the national average. Outbreaks of preventable diseases are reported. Access to education at all levels is inadequate. Furthermore, the cycle of temporary displacements continues. Among non-displaced populations, access to education and health care is often disrupted by fighting. 70. Humanitarian assistance has been frequently and arbitrarily denied, and despite the clear need thereof, the movement of relief personnel has been restricted for long periods of time. Access has significantly deteriorated since June 2016, to a point where international humanitarian actors are unable to assess needs or provide assistance to the majority of displaced persons, exacerbating already dire conditions. Local organizations also are increasingly restricted. 13