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1,600 villagers have returned to their homes. The approximately 300 villagers from Hee Daw Kaw village have not yet been able to return to what is left of their village. This is due to the proximity of Burma Army patrols as well the fear of land mines having been laid in the village. These villagers are still in hiding, and in need of blankets as well as pots and pans and other necessary items because these possessions were all lost when the Burma Army burned down their homes.
ENDS
Following is the initial report from November 30, 2005 as well as all recent updates.
Burma Army IB 75 troops burned down the 32 houses in Hee Daw Kaw Village and laid land mines before leaving the village. At least one land mine was found near the village church. At this time, seven villagers are known to have been captured by the Burma Army, including a one-year old baby. The following people have been captured;
From Shro Hser Village; 1) Saw Bwe , age 40 (male) 2) Naw Traw Ma, age 52 (female) 3) Saw Ta Dah Po, age 28 (male) 4) Naw Ta Mu Mu, age 19 (female) with her one year old baby.
From Hee Daw Kaw Village; 1) Naw Htoo Bleh (female) 2) Naw Apae, age 15 (female).
The Burma Army operation affected 159 families, or approximately 900 people. Those affected include; 1) 51 families from Hee Daw Kaw Village 2) 43 families from Hgo Khi Village 3) 33 families from Shro Hser Village 4) 32 families from Wah Soe Village
These are the 900 directly affected by the attacks. Other villagers further West also fled into hiding but there have been no attacks in that area yet.
Burma Army IB 75 has not withdrawn from the area, so the 900 people from these four villages and others are still hiding in the jungle. They do not have sufficient blankets or mosquito nets. Villagers from Hee Daw Kaw lost everything when their houses were destroyed and are left without even basic necessities like cooking pots.
(Source: CIDKP)
–PREVIOUS REPORT:
Update on the Attack: A new total of 1,900-2,000 IDPs, Nov 30, 2005. Toungoo District, Northern Karen State, Burma. November 26-30, 2005
There are now over 1,000 newly displaced people in addition to the 900 villagers who fled the attacks of Burma Army IB 75 (previously reported as IB 73) (Columns 1 and 2), for a total of between 1,900-2,000 IDPs. The Burma Army attacked Hee Daw Kaw Village, burned 30 houses and captured one villager named Sho Sar. In addition to the 900 villagers who are in hiding from this attack, there are over 1,000 newly displaced. these 1,000+ people fled from their villages and IDP hide sites further west of Hee Daw Kaw after they learned of the initial attack. 300 of the first 900 villagers are from Hee Daw Kaw, the other 600 are from the surrounding villages of Hoki, Sho Ser, Wah Soe, and Ha To Per. The new IDPs (1,000+) are from villages and IDP sites further west up to the Saw Wah Der village area, near the junction of the Mawchi-Baw Ga LI Gyi-Busakee roads, 35 kilometers west of Toungoo.
The Burma Army commenced the attack on 26 November. The villagers of Hee Daw Kaw fled at 9 a.m. on the same day, November 26, 2005. The Burma Army then burned down homes in Hee Daw Kaw (exact number not sure due to Burma Army patrols still near the village), on 28th November.
The Burma Army also used a small force of the Karenni breakaway faction Karenni National Solidarity Army (KNSA), in this attack. This pro-dictator Karenni group (KNSA), numbers 200-300 men and were formed in 2002 with the support of the Burma Army. They have been used by the Burma Army to attack the Pro-democracy Karenni resistance (KNPP), as well as IDPs in Karenni State to the east. This is the first major attack in Toungoo District of the Karen State in which the Burma Army has used the KNSA Karenni force.
ENDS