FBR REPORT: Burma
Army Launches New Attacks in Western and Northern Karen States
Karen State, Burma
14 March, 2006
Report Summary
The Burma Army are now attacking civilians
in Western and Northern Karen State, Burma. Over 3,000 people are
now in hiding and 640 of these who are trying to escape have been
blocked by the Burma Army.
Western Karen State: Nyaunglebin District:
Total persons displaced: 2,293
Northern Karen State Toungoo District: Total over 700 newly displaced
people.
Total people newly displaced in Northern and Western Karen State
during this past week of 5-12 March: at least 2,993 people in hiding
now, with the number being closer to an estimated 3,000 to 3,100
people newly displaced.
On March 9, 2006, The Burma army continued its attacks against civilians
in Northern and Western Karen State, Burma. Three Burma Army battalions attacked
two villages from Saw Ka Der village tract of Mon Township, Western Karen
State.
The soldiers, from LIB 366, LIB 368, and LIB 364, under Military Operations
Command 10 (MOC 10), Division 66, entered Klaw Kee village on March 9, 2006
and burned it down. During the attack Burma Army soldiers shot and killed
one 38 year old Karen man, Saw Maw Sae Kya. The soldiers also burned down
one paddy barn belonging to Saw Ra Moo, which contained 48 sacks of paddy
rice, and another paddy barn which held 38 sacks of rice.
The soldiers then continued to the village of Maw La Kee, where they burned
down another 7 houses. A total of 1,140 people from Mon Township have now
fled and are currently hiding in the jungle. These people cannot return home
due to constant Burma Army patrols in this area.
At the same time, further south in Ler Doh Township, the
Burma Army carried out a similar attack. Soldiers from LIB 362 and LIB 363
entered Kwey Der village tract and forced 1,153 villagers into hiding. It
is not yet known how many homes have been burned down because all of the villagers
are still in hiding in the jungle and cannot return for fear of Burma Army
patrols.
The Burma Army has increased its attacks against civilians in Toungoo District
, Northern Karen State during these past two weeks. There are now over 700
people newly displaced and 640 other people who fled last month (February
2006), who have now been blocked by the Burma Army and can not escape to Thailand.
These 640 people are now being cared for by a relief team and are not in imminent
danger; however, they need food and a way to get past the Burma Army.
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From an earlier report that has just been processed from the field.
Burma Army attacks, the laying of landmines and forced
portering: 27 February 2006.
The Burma Army is now conducting small scale attacks against the civilian
population of the Northern Karen State (Nyaunglebin and Toungoo Districts),
laying landmines and forcing over 200 people to carry loads for the construction
of the road leading into Southern Karenni State.
In Toungoo District porters more than 200 porters (some unconfirmed reports
state 700 porters) are being used by the Burma Army to support their attacks
against the civilian population there. The Burma Army is also conducting an
extensive landmine laying campaign against the people living in the mountains
east and northeast of Toungoo. The Burma Army is making small scale 1-2 battalion
sized sweeps to force the civilian population to move to areas under direct
Burma Army control.( Over 1,000 people have fled to refugee camps in Thailand
from these areas in the past three months.)
The Burma Army is now laying landmines in a north-south
line along the Day Lo river in the vicinity of Thandaung, north of Toungoo.
It is reported that over 2000 anti-personnel mines will be laid to stop all
civilian moment from the mountains to the plains this area. This is in order
to deny the civilian population (and thus by extension the resistance), trade
and the purchase of food stuffs and other needed commodities.
Porters Killed and Tortured in Southern
Karenni State:
Three porters who had been tortured by the Burma Army and who told of the
murder of fellow porters had escaped the Burma Army into Southern Karenni
State:
Three men who were forced by Division 66 of the Burma Army to carry ammunition
escaped to a Karenni village in Southern Karenni State on 20 February 2006.
Soe Naing, age 20, from the Rangoon area, Zaw Di, age, 24, from Henzada and
La Sa (age unknown) had been forced to porter loads for the Burma Army since
November 2005. They were forced to support road construction operations between
Toungoo, Karen State and Mawchi, Karenni State. They were beaten and reported
that many porters had been killed by the Burma Army on the way. They also reported
that over 200 other people (and said that this number could be up to 700 people),
had been forced to porter at the same time in support of the Burma Army road
construction operations in Toungoo District and Southern Karenni State as well
as attacks in Toungoo District.
Two Burma army battalions advancing on Karen villages in Mon township, Nyaunglebin
District, Western Karen State. Burma Army battalions LIB 599 and LIB 264,
are moving towards the following villages of Mon township; Klee Law Klo, Ler
Kwa Khea, Plaw Lay Ko, The Tha Plaw and No Ker Ko.
This operation follows an earlier operation on 6 February 2006, by LIB 599
in Ti Day Mu Ta, where three civilians were shot. See picture.
Burmese villager shot by LIB 599 on Feb 6,
2006
Analysis: These
attacks reflect the ongoing effort of the Burma Army to break the will of the
people and control them. The murder of porters and the laying of landmines to
terrorize and block food to a civilian population are two of the tactics used
in the strategy of the Burma Army to dominate, assimilate and exploit the ethnic
people of Burma. The attacks are currently small in scale and there is not enough
evidence yet to conclude that there will be large scale operations. For example
the large amount of porters reported could be for support of road construction
and support of camps rather than attacks. It is not clear if the attacks ongoing
now will grow into a larger offensive but already people are fleeing these operations.
The laying of landmines to block access to the plains
is part of a long term plan of attempting to starve out the people and the resistance.
As this area is relatively close to the new Burma capitol of Pyinmana, it also
seems likely that increased operations to clear this area are eminent, possibly
this year or next. Already the Burma Army has reported to have planed the forced
relocation of over 50 villages near Pyinmana.
What is clear is that the Burma Army is slowly attempting
to expand its control, that people are under great danger and there is already
a shortage of food for the people of this area.
Over 1,000 people have fled from these areas to refugee
camps in Thailand since December 2005. Now there are over 3,000 new IDPs, many
of whom may attempt to reach the safety of refugee camps in Thailand. The 1,000
refugees now in Thailand cited shortage of food as the main reason they had
to flee, while the 3,000 newly created IDPs are on the run because of direct
Burma Army attacks.
ENDS
The Free Burma Ranger’s (FBR) mission is to provide hope, help and
love to internally displaced people inside Burma, regardless of ethnicity
or religion. Using a network of indigenous field teams, FBR reports on human
rights abuses, casualties and the humanitarian needs of people who are under
the oppression of the Burma Army. FBR provides medical, spiritual and educational
resources for IDP communities as they struggle to survive Burmese military
attacks.
