FBR REPORT: Families Killed, Girls Raped: Burma Army Brutality in Karen State Karen State, Burma 13 July, 2007

KEY DEVELOPMENTS:   The Burma Army continues to terrorize and oppress villagers in Karen State in its attempt to completely dominate or drive out the civilian population. Frequent attacks have been launched in the last few months in which villagers are shot on site and homes ransacked and belongings destroyed. These attacks are intended to intimidate people and make life impossible, forcing villagers into refugee camps or forced relocation sites. The Burma Army is also clamping down on villagers who live close to the central plains in order to interrupt all contact with villagers in the mountains who continue to avoid domination.

	In This Report:   Papun District Dooplaya District Nyaunglebin District Attacks Forced Labor Forced Relocation Interviews

PAPUN DISTRICT: Top

TWO GIRLS RAPED, TORTURED AND KILLED

Two women, aged 22 and 18, were raped, had their breasts and ears cut, and were then killed by Burma Army troops during the month of May. The women were from Takehder village in Luthaw Township, and had been gathering vegetables in the jungle when they were captured by Burma Army troops from MOC 5. further details not yet known

charred remains of Naw Ku Lue

On 17 May, 2007, Burma Army troops shot and killed Naw Ku Lue, 19, during an attack on the village of Klaw Kloe Lo. Naw Ku Lue was killed in her farm house and her body was then burned with the house. In this same attack, 7 other houses and 20 tins of rice were also burned.

The attack, by troops from Taw Lu Pla Man, began at 0830 and included the firing of 10 120mm mortars in the area.

DOOPLAYA DISTRICT: Top

SPDC AND DKBA KILL ENTIRE FAMILY IN HTEE K’BLER VILLAGE

On 23 June between 9:00 and 10:00 pm the Burma Army and DKBA troops captured a number of people from Htee K’Bler village in Dooplaya District. They then killed an entire family including two children, ages 4 and 13 and a grandmother, age 65. The names of the victims are:

1) Saw Nying Htun 36

2) Naw Wah Kying 31

3) Saw Pa Heh Soe 13

4) Kyaw Eh Wah 4

5) Naw Pler poe 65

Two children in the family were not killed as they are in school in Thailand.

The family was killed close to the Burma Army camp at Htee K’bler. The Burma Army units in the area are battalion 203 and 284 of Division 22 and a DKBA unit under the control of Maung Shwe.

NYAUNGLEBIN DISTRICT: Top

ATTACKS

BURMA ARMY KILLS SIX VILLAGERS AND TORTURES THREE OTHERS IN MON TOWNSHIP

On 2 June Burma Army LIB 540 was ambushed by the KNLA while patrolling in the area of Ya Kaing Taung village. The Burma Army then captured six villagers from the area. All six were accused of having contact with the KNU and were immediately killed. LIB 540 then informed the Ya Kaing Taung villagers that they must move their village to Tha Pyi Nyut. The names of the six villagers who were killed are:

1) Tin San

2) Yasien

3) Kyaw Soe

4) Kyi Shwe

5) Myit Zaw

6) Ko Myit

LIB 539 has now replaced LIB 540 in this area.

BURMA ARMY ATTACKS VILLAGE, KILLS MAN

Saw Ra Say, 20, was shot dead in a Burma Army attack against Yaw Ki village on 13 May, 2007. A Burma Army troop of about 30 soldiers from LID 88 shelled the village with about 40 mortars, and then sprayed it with small arms fire. Saw Ra Say was killed in this attack; his father's name is Saw Ler Si.

The soldiers also burned down 4 farm huts with all belongings. The huts were owned by Saw Law Kyi, Naw La Htoo, Naw Keh Ye Doo, and Saw K'pru Htoo. Saw K'Pru Htoo lost 250,000kyat, 2 gold rings, 2 sacks of rice and 7 sacks of paddy. All of the villagers have fled Yaw Ki and are now in hiding in the jungle.

Cooking pots burned and destroyed during Burma Army attack

On 30 May 2007, the Burma Army attacked the Ta Kwa Doh village area of Ker Doh village tract in Kyauk Kyi Township.

On 11 May Burma Army LIB 220 of Light Infantry Division 11 attacked the area of Htee Nya Mu Kee village at 11:55 am. Villagers had not time to collect any of their belongings or food stores before fleeing. Burma Army soldiers burned down one paddy store during the attack. As a result of this attack 31 people form Htee Nya Mu Kee fled, along with 19 villagers from Htee Thu Kee and 57 people from Wa Per Kwee. A total of 107 villagers fled into hiding during this attack.

IDPs from Htee Thu Kee, Htee Nya Mu Kee and Ler Wah flee in May of 2007

Htee Nya Mu Kee and Htee Thu Kee IDPs fleeing

Ler Wah IDPs running during the Burma Army attack

A new camp has been built in this area at T’ler Day. This camp is located only one hour from Ler Wa and only a half hour from Htee Thu Kee and Htee Nya Mu Kee. More than 80 paddy farms have been abandoned because of this new camp as villagers do not dare farm so close to a Burma Army camp.

FORCED LABOR

FORCED LABOR IN MON TOWNSHIP

On 7 May, 2007, the Burma Army forced 154 villagers to work on a new road between Toe Daw and Yin O Sein. This new road cuts through villagers' farmland and has destroyed over 500 acres. The road will connect the headquarters of LIB 599 at Toe Daw and LIB 590 at Yin O Sein.

Of the 154 people forced to work, 15 of the villagers were from Myaung Oo, 59 were from Aung Chan That and 90 were from Paw Pi Der. They were also forced to cut wood and bamboo and carry these to the Burma Army camp, build livestock shelters and clean Burma Army gardens. Additionally, the Burma Army extorts money from the villagers by controlling and overpricing market items, such as chicken, and forcing the villagers to buy from them.

The Burma Army is building a new camp between Yulo and Play Hsa Lo, at Lepelo. They have conscripted 5 villagers from Yulo and one from K’mulo and are forcing them to stay until the camp is finished.

BURMA ARMY LAYS LANDMINES AND CONDUCTS FORCED LABOR AT QUARRY

On 3 June KNLA troops burned down a quarry operation in Lay Gaw Na at about midnight. The company operating the quarry is owned by U Myit Hswe. The KNU repeatedly explained to the company that the area of the quarry belongs to the local Karen villagers and that the KNU would not allow the company to continue operations. Because the company continued its mining operations, the KNU destroyed the quarry. Local villagers had been forced to work on the quarry, including building a fence around the quarry.

After the attack, the local Burma Army commander called in a local Karen village head and told him that because of the KNLA attack the Burma Army would place 500 landmines in the area of Ayo Taung, Wai Kyo, Maw Pweh Kee, Mei Htee Ga La Lu, and Naw Per villages. Villagers who live in these villages and use the surrounding areas to grow crops will now not be able to farm. On 4 June Burma Army LIB 351 and IB 60 placed 20 landmines in the Lay Gaw Na and Maw Pwe Kee village areas and on the 5 June they placed landmines in the area of Ayo Taung village. The Burma Army has forced the local village leaders to guide them through the village areas while they place landmines. He has not been able tend to his farm and feed his family, and his villagers are now no longer able to use the farms surrounding their villages.

IB 60 battalion HQ at Than Bo

LIB 351 battalion HQ

On 4 June the Burma Army also captured and questioned Naw K’Paw Htoo. She was eventually released.

FORCED RELOCATION

RELOCATED ATTEMPT TO RETURN TO THEIR HOMES

Villagers from Xxxx Xxx Xxx, who were forced to relocate to Kyauk Kyi in January, are now trying to return to their village. They reported that in the relocation site they were not able to provide themselves with food and so faced starvation and other health problems. They also said that the Burma Army would not allow them to open a school.

Villager Saw Xxx Xxx was captured and accused of owning a gun and ICOM radio. He was then tortured by Burma Army troops and was later released. He is now back in his village and trying to return to school.

ABUSE, EXTORTION AND RELOCATION IN THE VILLAGES OF KWE JA, PAY TU AND SA LEH

On 21 June the Burma Army demanded that the villages of Kwe Ja, Pay Tu and Sa Leh relocate their villages closer to the town of Kyauk Kyi in Nyaunglebin District. The Burma Army has been significantly increasing its control and abuse of these villages since the beginning of 2007.

On 7 June IB 60 demanded each family in Kwe Ja village to cut down and bring 100 bamboo poles to their battalion headquarters.

In January of 2007 the Burma Army engaged in forced labor and extortion from the villagers for Pay Tu and Sa Leh. On 30 January LIB 590 entered the two villages, demanding villagers’ property. On 10 March Burma Army troops demanded 20 bamboo poles of at least 20 feet length from each of the families in Pay Tu and Sa Leh. On 30 march villagers were forced to pay the Burma Army 10,000 Kyat for every cart that went into the jungle to collect firewood. Since then, each villager with a cart has been forced to pay 10,000 Kyat per month in order to be allowed to collect firewood.

On 6 April the villagers were forced to destroy all of their farm huts in the fields surrounding their villages.

On 30 April LIB 590 was replaced in the area by LIB 351. These new troops, led by commander Aung Lin Tut, forced villagers to repair the local army camp and demanded 1,000 bamboo poles from the locals. On 10 and 25 May villagers were again forced to provide building materials, having to provide a total of 3,600 sections of roofing material. Throughout this period villagers have been forced to provide food for the Burma Army troops, including chicken, pork, salt, fish paste and at least 2 sacks of rice per day.

LIB 590 has remained active in the area, demanding that villagers not leave the village to enter the nearby jungle. This has made life very difficult for many villagers who rely on farming and collecting fruits and plants in the jungle to sell at the local market.

Burma Army LIB 590 camp at Maw Lay

On 22 May troops from LIB 590 burned down all farm houses in the area of Myet Yeh, Wei Gyi, Kyo Bin Zeik, Myaung Yo Gyi, Naung Bo, and Takon villages. Villagers in this area are now being forced to improve the road that runs along the Sittang fiver. The troops involved in this action were under the command of Ko Ko Oo.

On 27 May, troops from LIB 599 under Sergeant Major Naing Naing entered Takon and Kone village tracts. Villagers in this area have been forced to man security huts at each village and to report on all village activity. When these troops arrived at each security hut the villagers manning the huts were forced to lie face down on the ground and then were beaten. Each hut was then forced to give a kilo of chicken and 1,000 kyat to the Burma Army troops.

BURMA ARMY RELOCATES VILLAGE TRACT AND KILLS HEADMAN

In late May the Burma Army Operations Command based in Kyauk Kyi demanded villagers from P’na Ner to relocate to a forced relocation site at Yan Myo Aung and Te Tu beginning on 3 June. Villagers pleaded with the Burma Army to be able to stay in their village because of the difficulty of moving their entire village, including the school and the church. The Burma Army MOC commander told them this was the fortune of the village and that he could not help them. Many of the villagers moved to the relocation site, while some moved to other villages where they had relatives.

Burma Army LIB 350 camp at Te Tu

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Sometime on 21 or 22 June 2007, the village headman from P’Na Ner went to the local Burma Army camp along with a payment of 200,000 Kyat. The Burma Army captured him and slit his throat. His wife then went to find out what happened to him and discovered that he had been killed. The Burma Army troops gave her 20,000 Kyat and told her it was to pay for his funeral. They did not return any of the 200,000 Kyat he had taken with him.

Villagers who moved to the relocation site are very concerned about the health and welfare of villagers because they must adjust to a new place, the land they will have to rebuild on is insufficient, and their old farms are far away. The school has also shut down and villagers aren’t sure when they will be able to start again. Villagers who wish to return to their old farms must pay 1,000 Kyat per month to the local LIB 350 commander. LIB 350 is under the command of Zaw Aung and the camp is located between Tetu village and Tetu relocation site.

1,000 Kyat per month permit to work on farm given by LIB 350

On 23 June Burma Army LIB 350 demanded that the entire village tract in which P’Na Ner is located relocate to the forced relocation site at Tetu. This includes the villages of 1) Thu Ka Bee 2) No Po 3) Taw Lu Ko 4) Ma Taw Ku and 5) P’Na Ner.

NEW CAMPS IN 2007

The Burma Army has constructed at least 10 new camps in Nyaunglebin District since the beginning of 2007.

Four new camps have been constructed in Hsaw Hti Township.

1) T’ler Day

2) Mae Tu Soe

3) Gaw La Say

4) Mae Lawt

They’ve also construct two camps in Kyauk Kyi Township

5) Nyaung Bi Tha

6) Say Baw Der

Another four camps have been constructed in Mon Township

7) Porosoe

8) Kwee Di Kaw

9) Lepelo

10)Ter Pwaa

11)Another camp has been constructed between Weigyi and Luah but the name and exact location of this camp has not been confirmed.

Pa Lwin Taung Burma Army camp

New Burma Army camp at Aung Lan Taung

INTERVIEWS:

Name: Saw Xxxx Xxx Xxx

Age: 22

Ethnicity: Karen

Village: Aung Soe Moe

Life is now very difficult for me. Because the Burma Army forced us to relocate, I can no longer work my own rice fields. I now am working in the fields of a wealthy landowner and am only paid 1,000 Kyat per day ($0.80). Some days I don’t get paid the full amount and the landowner is very cruel to me. 1,000 Kyat is only enough to purchase 8 small tins of rice. This means I cannot purchase any additional food to feed my family.

Name: Xxxx Xxx Xx

Age: 27

Ethnicity: Burman

Education: 9th standard

On 11 December 1996 I joined the Burma Army. In March of 1997 I attended medic training which lasted until December of 1997. Immediately after the training I was sent to the front line where I was with Infantry Battalion 60 in Kyauk Kyi Township. As a medic and soldier I followed all of the orders of my superiors. I think my work as a medic in the Burma Army was very poor. I was very disappointed in what I was doing. In 2000 I married a Karen woman and decided to escape from being a soldier. In 2002 I escaped and am now living with my wife and trying to learn the Karen Language.

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