A Myanmar refugee living in Denmark has filed a complaint against the country’s military authorities, alleging war crimes against ethnic minorities in a move that could open the door to a criminal investigation under Danish law.

Ngun Siang Dim, a 39-year-old woman from the Chin minority, said she witnessed around 40 houses being burned in her village in Chin State, western Myanmar. She also said several of her relatives and friends were killed or permanently disabled by landmines allegedly planted by the military.

According to the South China Morning Post, Dim described the destruction of homes, the bombing of villages and the disruption of children’s education as part of the suffering endured by communities in Myanmar.

She fled the country, travelling first to India and then Thailand, before settling in Denmark in 2023. The precise dates of the alleged crimes could not be independently confirmed.

Eddie Khawaja, a lawyer representing Dim and other Myanmar refugees, said other Myanmar nationals living in Denmark could join the complaint. He said the filing could allow Danish police to investigate alleged international crimes and human rights violations committed against individuals and communities in Myanmar.

Tracy Bawi Hlei, president of Myanmar Action Group Denmark, described the complaint as an important step towards documenting alleged abuses and holding the military leadership accountable.

Denmark adopted the principle of universal jurisdiction in 2025, allowing authorities to prosecute alleged war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide committed outside the country, subject to the applicable legal requirements, including a connection to Denmark through the presence of a complainant or alleged perpetrator.

Myanmar has been engulfed in conflict since the military seized power in February 2021, ousting the elected government led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. The coup triggered widespread resistance and escalated fighting across the country.

The conflict has killed more than 100,000 people, according to the conflict monitor ACLED, while airstrikes, village burnings, landmines, and other forms of violence have devastated communities and forced millions from their homes.

The Danish complaint follows another legal development involving Myanmar’s military. In early February, the Chin Human Rights Organization announced that East Timor had appointed a prosecutor tasked with investigating an alleged war crimes case involving the Myanmar military.

The two developments reflect growing efforts to pursue accountability for alleged atrocities through legal systems outside Myanmar, where the ongoing conflict continues to hinder justice for victims.

BOB Post